Wildlife at the Water’s Edge: Exploring Belfast’s Coastal Wonders
Dawn on Belfast Lough, viewed from Downshire beach, Carrickfergus. Photo by Stephen Lavery
Here at Fish City, just a short walk from Belfast’s historic waterfront, we’re proud to serve sustainably sourced, award-winning fish and chips and some of the finest local shellfish—from rope-grown Strangford mussels and responsibly farmed Carlingford oysters to clams from Dundrum Bay. Our passion for sustainability extends beyond the plate to the natural environment that nurtures every ingredient we source. The same waters that nourish this incredible island’s seafood also support an astonishing array of wildlife, right here in the waters at the edge of the city.
Stretching out from the industrial pulse of the city to the tranquil shallows of the Irish Sea, Belfast Lough is a haven for wildlife. Whilst the city’s skyline is dominated by the Samson and Goliath cranes that speak to Belfast’s famous shipbuilding past, the lough’s waters, mudflats, and rocky shores feed and provide shelter for a vast array of birds, plants, and marine life. Among these natural treasures lies the story of resilience and revival—from forgotten mudbanks to global bird hotspots. Journey around Belfast Lough’s coastline and explore its wild side.
The RSBP’s Belfast Window on Wildlife (WOW) is a nature reserve located in Belfast Harbour Estate. Photo by RSBP
Sanctuary at Belfast WOW
Not all nature reserves are born in wilderness. The lagoon at Belfast’s Window on Wildlife (WOW), once a dredging dump site along the south shore of Belfast Lough, evolved into one of the region’s most vibrant wildlife sanctuaries. In the early 1980s, rain filled this unfinished infill site, and birds were quick to claim it. Wildlife enthusiasts and volunteers stepped in, helping to shape it into a purpose-built reserve managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). The nature reserve underwent an extensive refurbishment and opened to the public in 2015 with a new name: Belfast’s Window on Wildlife.
Despite its modest size, this city centre nature reserve supports over 100 bird species across a mosaic of habitats, including a lagoon, mudflats, dry grassland and meadows. Surface-feeding ducks like teal and wigeon skim its shallow waters, whilst small islands built from cockleshells attract breeding terns—hundreds of pairs of common terns nest here each summer. At twilight, clouds of midges draw hordes of hungry swifts, and bats replace them after dusk. For birdwatchers, every visit promises a surprise, from barn owls ghosting through the trees to the occasional great skua or roseate tern.
A spoonbill at Belfast's Window on Wildlife (WOW). Spoonbills are rare visitors to the island, more commonly found in warmer parts of Europe and Asia. Photo by the News Letter
Gulls: More Than Just City Squatters
Gulls are a common sight across the UK and Ireland, but Belfast’s coastal gulls are anything but ordinary. At least five species are frequently seen in Belfast, including black-headed, common, and herring gulls. Also seen are the migratory lesser gull, and the impressive great black-back gull, which is found in small numbers on the coast. But keep your binoculars sharp—rarer visitors like Iceland gulls and glaucous gulls, from Scandinavia, often mingle unnoticed among the flocks. Belfast even boasts an impressive record of sightings of the American ring-billed gull, more than anywhere else on the island of Ireland.
A widespread resident around the coast of the island of Ireland, herring gulls are regularly seen nesting on roofs in the city and coastal towns along Belfast Lough.
Feeding Grounds for Thousands
From late autumn to early spring, Belfast Lough becomes a birdwatcher’s paradise, hosting up to 20,000 wintering birds. The lough supports internationally important populations of waders and waterfowl, including turnstone, knot, redshank, and oystercatcher. These birds aren’t just abundant—they’re specialists. Each wader’s bill is adapted to probe different depths of mud, enabling peaceful coexistence whilst foraging for food.
Elsewhere on the water, eider ducks—distinguished by their preference for mussels—gather to moult, whilst flocks of goldeneye and great crested grebes bob offshore. Shags and cormorants swap their cliffside summer homes for the lough’s sheltered waters in winter, their dark shapes haunting piers and breakwaters. Even the elusive long-tailed duck and gadwall appear in select spots like Carrickfergus and Grey Point.
One of many waders found in Belfast Lough, oystercatchers have a striking long, orange bill and ruby-coloured eyes. The oystercatcher feeds on shellfish such as cockles and mussels (though, surprisingly, rarely on oysters), which it may hammer or prise open with its powerful bill. Photo by Juliet Fleming
Shellfish and the Sea’s Hidden Bounty
Why so many birds? Food, and plenty of it! Belfast Lough’s tidal flats and muddy channels are packed with invertebrates—cockles, mussels, prawns, and worms—that support birds and even a small shellfishing industry. At low tide, the mud seems to crawl with life, from brittlestars near the mouth of the lough to ragworms that swarm like serpents in spring.
Among the submerged rocks and seaweed-covered outcrops, sea anemones, sea urchins (see left; photo by Dr Lynn Gilmore), and crabs find shelter. And whilst some marine species are expected, others surprise. An Australian barnacle showed up in 1964, carried in by shipping (Scott, 2004). It is a reminder that Belfast’s coast is part of a living, shifting world where the faraway and exotic sometimes drifts ashore.
Dolphins and Whales and Sharks, oh my!
Beyond the mudflats and into deeper waters, the marine drama intensifies. The entrance to Belfast Lough, between Whitehead and the Copeland Islands, is a hotspot for harbour porpoises and bottlenose dolphins, especially in summer. With luck and a lot of patience, you might glimpse a minke whale (see photo above), surfacing silently before vanishing beneath the waves.
Basking sharks and even killer whales occasionally appear, typically following herring shoals. These sightings tend to be seasonal and fleeting, making them all the more thrilling. Meanwhile, common and grey seals are more reliable residents, visible around Greenisland, Grey Point and Rockport. The rounder-headed common seals tend to venture further inland, whilst the more social grey seals bask near the lough’s mouth, with some even venturing up the River Lagan into the city.
The Sammy the Seal sculptures installed at Donegall Quay (near the Big Fish) are based on a grey seal named ‘Sammy’ by local residents. Sammy frequently visited the Lagan Weir and Queen’s Bridge for years from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Photo by DfC / Belfast Live
Life Among the Rocks
Belfast Lough’s rocky fringes, especially along the Antrim shore, offer yet another kind of habitat. These rugged areas are the domain of turnstones—small, energetic waders that flip over pebbles and seaweed in search of insects. Nearby, rock pipits nest amongst the stones, and sugar kelp drapes the lower rocks like wet ribbons.
Look closely, and you might find mussels, barnacles, and limpets clinging to the rocks; they make good food for hungry birds and provide important ecosystem benefits by filtering the water. In summer, butterflies flit above—graylings along cliff paths, common blues near Tillysburn, and even the rare dark green fritillary, seen now and then along the shore or in places like the Cave Hill’s old quarries.
Plants of the Tides and Shores
Though often overshadowed by birds and marine life, the plant life of Belfast’s coast deserves its moment in the sun. From sea asters to knotgrass, these hardy species thrive in harsh conditions—wind, salt, and shifting sands. Perforate St John’s wort and biting stonecrop add bursts of yellow to rocky crevices, while pink common centaury and the Mediterranean big quaking grass hint at unexpected diversity.
Perhaps most captivating is the bee orchid, with a flower mimicking the bottom of a bumblebee to attract pollinators—though the plant can also self-seed if no insects oblige. These orchids bloom briefly in June and have been spotted close to city roads and car parks, showing that beauty can spring from the most unassuming corners.
In June, the bee orchid is easy to spot with its gold and brown velvety lower lip patterned to resemble a visiting bumblebee. They can be found on dry, sandy soils, dunes and limestone pastures.
A Butterfly’s Preference: Coastal Grasslands
The paths tracing the lough are also corridors for butterflies native to our coasts. Along with the common blue and small heath butterflies, which favour open, uncultivated spaces, the grayling butterfly can be seen along the shores at Whitehead. The diversity is enhanced by the wildflowers lining the cycle paths and old industrial verges, providing crucial nectar sources throughout summer.
Even areas like the Harbour Estate offer vital refuges for these important pollinators. The grayling, for example, has managed to hold on in places others might dismiss—proving again that wildlife doesn’t always need a picture-postcard setting to survive.
A Coastal Tapestry Still Unfolding
Belfast Lough may sit beside a bustling port and busy capital, but it remains a site of ecological richness. From the flutter of butterflies to the sweep of migrating flocks, the lough’s coastal wildlife is testament to nature’s interdependence, adaptability, and resilience.
So next time you’re cycling the coastal paths, taking a stroll through Victoria Park, or gazing out from Hazelbank, look closer. The sea is not just a backdrop to city life here—it’s a stage for many enthralling natural spectacles. And as a local business rooted in the community and in this landscape, we’re inspired by Belfast Lough’s natural rhythms. Whether you’re out birdwatching, walking the shoreline, or tucking into a fresh seafood dish at our restaurant, we hope you’ll take a moment to appreciate the remarkable natural heritage we all share.
Explore our local, coastal wild places at nearby RSBP sites such as Victoria Park (BT4 1LS) and Belfast’s Window on Wildlife (BT3 9ED), both near Belfast City Airport, and Gideon’s Green (BT37 9SQ) in Newtownabbey. Further out along the entrance to Belfast Lough are Ballymacormick Point & Groomsport Harbour, just outside Bangor, and Copeland Bird Observatory, on the Copeland Islands.
Learn more about Belfast’s fascinating flora and fauna in Robert Scott’s fantastic book Wild Belfast: On Safari in the City (2004), an intensely informative compendium of Belfast’s wildlife. Check out the book, or watch the documentary ‘Wild Belfast’ from the Northern Ireland Screen Digital Film Archive.
Interested in how you can get involved in conserving and enhancing Belfast's natural habitats? Check out Wild Belfast, which engages and empowers Belfast's residents to protect Belfast’s wildlife through a range of engaging community-led projects and events.
Ulster Wildlife also hosts a wide range of volunteering opportunities for those who wish to make a real difference for our local wildlife, including an exciting project to restore populations of the native European flat oyster at Belfast Harbour Oyster Nursery.