Strumble Head, which is on the
Pembrokeshire Coast Path, comprises part of the
Strumble Head - Llechdafad Cliffs Site of Special Scientific Interest and is one of the best sites in Britain to view
cetaceans, particularly the
porpoise which can be spotted in the tidal races around the headland with modest binoculars. Public cetacean watches are frequently organized by the
Goodwick-based local marine wildlife conservationist
Sea Trust.
Seals can often be spotted. A wartime experimental microwave transmitter site was converted as a shelter for wildlife fans and was opened by
Bill Oddie in 1988. As well as marine mammals, the headland is a particularly good place to observe the passage of migrating birds, especially during the period from the end of July through to November. The adjacent
coast has been the site of numerous shipwrecks. In 2003, a
French shipwreck, possibly from the
battle of Fishguard, was found nearby. The
Bardse of the
Pile of Fowdrey was wrecked off Strumble Head on 3 October 1763 laden with a cargo of iron and copper from
Wicklow bound for
Chepstow. In 1915, the
barque Calburga, one of
Canada's last square rigged sailing ships, was lost. The crew were able to get to safety on their lifeboat, leaving a dispersed area of wreckage, which remains off the coast 1 mile (1500 metres) south-west of the lighthouse. The headland gives its name to
Strumble Head Lighthouse on the island of
Ynys Meicel, and Strumble
VOR, a way-point in many
transatlantic flights. ==References==