Cancelled trains, unexpected fog and rough seas: This is what it's like tracking wildlife on the Scilly Isles

28 miles off the southern coast of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly are made up of more than 100 islands. Just five of them are inhabited, with a population of around 2,200, but all boast breathtaking white-sand beaches, a tropical microclimate and a vast array of wildlife that draws in 100,000 visitors each summer. I've dreamt of visiting these remote isles for years, so when I finally got offered a work assignment to photograph the famous Isles of Scilly puffins, I jumped at the opportunity.

Little did I know that I'd spend 24 hours trying to reach the islands – a journey that featured unexpected fog, cancelled helicopters and a wild goose (puffin?) chase to find the elusive birds. A journey starting in London and ending off the Cornish coast took just as long as one to the other side of the world, all to see the little seabirds.

I visited at the beginning of June – peak puffin season, I'll have you know – to see the colony which returns to the Isles mid-April to breed. One hundred pairs of puffins return annually to the same breeding spot where they will raise one chick (endearingly called a ‘puffling’) until the end of July, when it is big enough to take flight and off they go back to sea.

I set off from London on a six-hour train journey to Penzance, with my Fuji camera and lenses in tow, packed and excited to seek out the black-and-white sea bird. Once in Penzance, after a long train delay, I was told my helicopter over to the Scilly Isles was cancelled due to unexpected fog – something I didn’t expect to hear during one of the hottest UK summers on record. It meant I was to spend the night on the mainland and have just one night in the Scilly Isles – not ideal when you're tracking wildlife. I had my fingers crossed for a flight the next morning. A day later, I was booked on a flight at 3pm and my journey to the puffins was closing in.

Helicopter flights from Penzance to either St Marys or Tresco take just 20 minutes. If the weather's right, its a scenic flight over the craggy Cornish coast and the English Channel to approach the bright green islands floating in crystal-clear seas – I couldn't believe the sights after such a grey, foggy 24 hours on the mainland.

On arrival, I was quickly whisked away by my tour guide in a buggy (the main mode of transport on the islands) to a little port on Tresco, where I boarded a small boat bound for the rocky outcrop where the puffins and their pufflings live.

As fate would have it, the sea was very rough that day due to the storm the night before so we couldn’t get as close as we'd hoped to the rocks where the birds nest and burrow. It also meant the puffins, which frequently sit on the calm waters, were nowhere to be seen. Turns out, they didn’t want to get thrown around on the waves – and I couldn't blame them. We spent 15 minutes being thrown around ourselves on the choppy open sea, spotting the occasional bird diving for food and then darting back to the warmth of their rocks to feed their little ones.

Other black-and-white sea birds such as guillemots and razorbills threw me off from my search, but the guides helped point out the few puffins swooping down, identifiable by their bright orange beaks. Back on land, we went after a few sightings. Unfortunately it just wasn't the day for it.

So, did I travel over 24 hours to see five puffins? Yes, I did. Nature and weather make a truly unpredictable pair, but I did come away with some helpful learnings. It's hard to know exactly what to expect on these remote isles, where weather chops and changes so quickly. Next time, I'll be sure to plan longer time to give myself the best possible chance of seeing the wildlife I'm seeking, ideally on a clear and calm day. Timings and boat routes are very flexible and work around weather conditions, plus the skipper will do their best to navigate based on spottings. I did get to enjoy spotting other marine wildlife – and there are seals, porpoises and wales to be seen if you're lucky!

On dry land, I made the most of my time on the islands pottering around Tresco gardens, walking along the sandy shoreline and admiring the unique flora and fauna growing undisturbed. It’s obvious why people return here every year.

While puffins are not considered rare, there are only a few colonies in the UK which gather on specific rocky coastlines. A few other popular locations to spot them are Skomer in Pembrokeshire, where you can walk amongst their burrows, the Farne Islands in Northumberland and Isle of May, Firth of Forth. It's a truly beautiful place, home to incredible wildlife and rugged, unpredictable landscapes that are well-worth the long journey.