Nature & Wildlife

Shetland has some of the most unique natural environments in the world. Its habitats and landscapes have evolved through a long partnership between people and nature and its wildlife is extremely rich and varied.

Wild flowers, animals, birds and sea life thrive in Shetland's pristine environment. Over 800 species of wild flowers, some unique to Shetland, cover the landscape during the summer months.

Otters are becoming more plentiful and seals porpoises, dolphins, sharks and killer whales can often be seen from the coast.

Millions of seabirds come to Shetland each year to breed and the sight and sound (and smell!) of 30,000 gannets in one colony is awesome.

Puffins, gulls, skuas, fulmars, petrels, shags, cormorants, guillemots, kittiwakes, razorbills, terns share the seas and skies around Shetland more or less harmoniously.

Here is a table of the commonest birds and sea mammals you are likely to see around Shetland.

Key: D Daily; R Regularly; O Occasionally; x Rarely seen
Species	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sept	Oct
Gannet	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Fulmar	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Cormorant	R	R	O	O	O	R	R
Shag	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Red-throated Diver	O	R	D	D	D	O	x
Great Northern Diver	O	O	x	x	x	x	O
Eider	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Long-tailed Duck	R	R	O	x	x	x	O
Common Guillemot	R	D	D	D	O	O	x
Razorbill	R	D	D	D	O	O	x
Black Guillemot	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Puffin	R	D	D	D	R	O	x
Great Skua	R	D	D	D	D	O	x
Arctic Skua	O	D	D	D	R	O	x
Arctic & Common Terns	x	D	D	D	R	O	x
Common Gull	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Kittiwake	D	D	D	D	R	O	x
Iceland Gull	O	O	O	x	x	O	O
Glaucous Gull	O	O	x	x	x	x	O
Common Seal	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Grey Seal	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Porpoise	O	O	R	R	R	O	O
Orca (Killer Whale)	x	x	O	O	O	x	x
Otter		R	R	R	R