Episode description

An audio voyage to the remote island of Lundy, a haven for marine wildlife.

12 miles off the coast of North Devon, Lundy has long been a place of refuge. Once ruled by Barbary pirates and political plotters, the island's stormy history has blown over, leaving a peaceful haven, awash with wildlife, and home to just 20 people. Stepping ashore from the ferry, MS Oldenburg, we'll be castaways for the night, and our to guide us, is the island's nature warden, Dean Woodfin-Jones. Walking the blustery coastal path, it's time to meet the seabirds - from late spring they nest here in the cliffs, and have trebled in recent years. From the raucous cackles of guillemots and razorbills, to the cries of kittiwakes and growls of Atlantic Grey seals, Lundy’s coastline is like a polyphonic party throughout the summer breeding season. But after dark, a different kind of magic happens. At midnight, the island’s generator turns off and suddenly there's no light, no internet - only the weather and the eerie sounds that emerge from the stillness. We'll be visited by Manx shearwaters, take shelter at the top of a lighthouse, and hear a lone skylark usher in the dawn.

Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Wales