Keith Hamer and Jill Hill conducting research on the isthmus, 1998.

Skomer is sometimes called Skalmey on old maps and texts, and indeed the name of the Countryside Council for Wales’ boat operated by the Marine Nature Reserve staff is Skalmey. The name Skalmey is of Viking origin, coming from two words “skalm” meaning a short sword, or cleft or cut, and “ey” meaning island, thus Skalmey or Cleft Island, probably referring to the fact that the island appears almost cut in two, joined only by the narrow strip of land known as The Isthmus, leading to The Neck, or possibly due to the deep cut sea cliff in the south of the Island, The Wick.