Major award for local wildlife photographer…not forgetting iconic dolphins Ghost and Spirit

Published

1 year ago

March 10, 2025

Local wildlife photographer Sarah Wyer has just landed a major shoot after being named in this year’s Mammal Photographer of the Year awards.

Her iconic image that includes two of her favourite dolphins – Ghost and Spirit – performing a triple breach has wowed judges in the prestigious Mammal Society Award ceremony, where Sarah was given a highly commended .

“I was over the moon,” a delighted Sarah told The Pembrokeshire Herald.

“As a marine zoologist, I spend a lot of time out at sea watching the mammals and the birds, so it goes without saying that I’ve found myself being drawn towards certain dolphins. And Ghost and Spirit are definitely up there with my favourites.

“Ghost, the mother, is not particularly aerial and is always very protective of her calf, while Spirit who’s now three years old, is still with her mother. She’ll probably start venturing off shortly on her own.

“One day last summer I saw these dolphins start frolicking in the water just beyond the boat, and when I looked closer I could see it was Ghost and Aerial and this obviously made the photograph even more special.”

Sarah went on to explain that dolphins are relatively easy to identify as a result of their distinctive dorsal fins.

“Ghost has a horizontal flash on hers, so she’s always easy to spot, but obviously when you spend as much time out on the waters as I do, you begin to develop something of a rapport with what you see around you, and you always live in the hope that they, too, are beginning to recognise us.”

Sarah’s photography began with a vengeance some eight years ago after she saved enough money to buy herself a decent camera.

“It took me months to make that final decision, but I eventually opted for a Nikon z72 II mirrorless camera because my hands are very small and I couldn’t operate anything much bigger.

“I’ve loved photography ever since I was a child, so it was wonderful to eventually get a camera that would enable me to take photographs of the wonderful wildlife that’s around our coastline here in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion and also our magnificent landscapes.

“But of course when you’re attempting to photograph the mammals, you have no idea what to expect. Dolphins are particularly difficult to photograph because I’m usually moving in a vessel and then of course you can never predict when exactly they’re going to jump out of the water. You may get a rough idea of what they may do, and you can get a spectacular dolphin display but then half an hour later, they’ve gone.”

Sarah, who works as a guide with ‘Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips’ based in New Quay, is particularly drawn to the waters around Pembrokeshire.

“Pembrokeshire really does have a really special place in my heart,” she said. “Last January I took myself down to Fishguard in the hope of seeing the humpback whale. I’d never seen one up until then, and I just thought that if I happened to see it, all well and good and if I didn’t, at least I could enjoy the seas and landscapes around Pembrokeshire.

“But then it decided to breach, right before my eyes. I still can’t quite believe that this happened.”

The magnificent humpback whale that Sarah captured breaching in the seas off Fishguard

Another incident that will stay with Sarah for many years to come was when she saw four dolphins in the waters near New Quay. One started breaching out of the water while the others continued to lift up their heads.

“They carried on doing this for around five minutes, so once again, it gave me an image that’s going to stay with me for a very long time.”

Dolphin watching boats such as the one that Sarah works from have to adhere to stringent restrictions which prevent them from disturbing the birds and mammals around our coastlines.

“We’re not allowed to follow the mammals nor move in too close to them, ensuring that they don’t become phased by our presence,” she explained.

“We also have time limits of how long we can spend around them. But despite all this, I still like to think that they recognise me when I’m around them. I’m getting to know them, and it would be wonderful to think that they’re getting to know me, too.

“But to get this recognition like this from the Mammal Society for my photograph of Ghost and Spirit really is the icing on the cake. It was such a special moment in my life, and for it now to be recognised in this way is just wonderful.”

Charity

Tenby club raises £1,000 for Wales Air Ambulance

Published

7 hours ago

May 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

TENBY INNER WHEEL CLUB has raised £1,000 for Wales Air Ambulance after holding a popular fish and chip supper fundraiser.

The club has supported the lifesaving charity for 12 years, raising £8,600 in total.

The latest event, held at the Boathouse in Saundersfoot, included both lunch and evening sittings, as well as a raffle.

The Inner Wheel Club of Tenby is a women’s organisation focused on friendship and service. It currently has 23 members who raise money for a range of good causes.

Karen Tulley, from the club, said: “Our members use our skills to promote and help good causes, while having plenty of fun at the same time.

“We are all aware that Wales Air Ambulance relies totally on donations and receives no government funding, which is why we are always keen to make this a really good event and raise as much money as we can.

“The air ambulance service is essential, particularly in rural areas.”

Following the fundraiser, Mike May, Wales Air Ambulance Regional Fundraising Manager, attended the club’s annual meeting, where he was presented with the £1,000 cheque.

He said: “A huge thank you to everyone at Inner Wheel Club of Tenby for raising a further £1,000 for our service.

“The members have fundraised for us for 12 years and in that time they have raised an incredible £8,600, which is amazing. We really do appreciate their ongoing support of our all-Wales charity.

“Fundraisers like these will ensure that the Wales Air Ambulance continues to be there for the people of Wales when they need us most.”

Wales Air Ambulance is a consultant-led service which takes hospital-standard treatment to patients and, if needed, transfers them directly to the most appropriate hospital.

The charity must raise £13m every year to keep its helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.

Pic: Mike May, Wales Air Ambulance Regional Fundraising Manager, at the cheque presentation.

Community

Protest planned outside police station calling for Chief Constable’s removal

Published

7 hours ago

May 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Campaigners accuse Dyfed-Powys Police of failing to safeguard children in Carmarthenshire

A PROTEST calling for the removal of Dyfed-Powys Police Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis is due to take place outside Llanelli Police Station this weekend.

The demonstration, organised by campaign group Predator Awareness and activist Zack Griffiths, is scheduled for Saturday (May 23) at 11:00am.

Promotional material shared online claims the protest is being held because the current Chief Constable has “failed to safeguard the children of Carmarthenshire”.

Campaigners are urging members of the public to gather outside Llanelli Police Station under the slogan: “No more silence. No more excuses. Protect our children.”

The specific concerns behind the protest have not been fully outlined publicly, although organisers have linked it to wider safeguarding concerns.

When approached by The Herald, Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed officers were aware of the planned demonstration.

***Protest planned: Campaigners are calling for the removal of Dyfed-Powys Police Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis (Pic: supplied).***

A police spokesperson said: “We are aware of plans for a protest in Llanelli this weekend.

“We will always seek to facilitate lawful peaceful protest while balancing it with the rights of others, keeping the public safe, and preventing crime and disorder — and we encourage anyone organising a protest to contact us so we can work together to ensure any demonstrations are done safely and with respect for the wider community.”

The protest is expected to take place outside Llanelli Police Station on Saturday morning.

News

Bank holiday rail works to affect Cardiff and Valleys passengers

Published

7 hours ago

May 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

PASSENGERS are being urged to plan ahead this bank holiday weekend as essential rail improvement works take place across the Cardiff and Valleys network.

Transport for Wales said all lines through Cardiff Queen Street will be closed on Sunday (May 24) and Bank Holiday Monday (May 25).

Rail replacement buses and service diversions will be in operation to keep passengers moving.

Services from Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil will continue to run into Cardiff Central via the City Line, through Ninian Park. Replacement buses will run between Radyr and Llandaf, Cathays, Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Bay.

The works come as warm weather is forecast and services to popular coastal destinations, including Barry Island and the North Wales coast, are expected to be busier than usual.

Passengers are also being reminded that a new timetable came into effect on Sunday (May 17), with some trains now calling at different stations and at different times.

Industrial action by West Midlands Railway is also expected to affect Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton and Hereford to Birmingham routes on Friday (May 22) and Saturday (May 23). TfW said its own services are likely to be busier as a result, with extra capacity provided where possible.

Sarah Higgins, Operations Director at Transport for Wales, said: “Transport for Wales will be running its normal timetable over the Bank Holiday weekend, but some services may be much busier than usual due to industrial action at West Midlands Railway affecting Shrewsbury–Birmingham and Hereford–Birmingham services on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 May.

“With high temperatures also forecast, customers are encouraged to take extra care when travelling, check for the latest travel information using the TfW website, mobile app, or social media channels, and to stay hydrated.”

On Sunday and Monday, buses will replace trains between Rhymney or Caerphilly and Cardiff Central, and between Radyr and Cardiff Central via Llandaf, Cathays and Cardiff Queen Street.

Penarth to Coryton services will terminate at Cardiff Central, with tickets accepted on Cardiff Bus routes 21, 23 and 27. On Monday only, tickets will also be valid on Cardiff Bus routes 92, 93 and 94 between Penarth and Cardiff city centre.

For the Cardiff Bay Line, tickets will be accepted on Cardiff Bus route 6, with an additional hourly bus running between Radyr and Cardiff Bay, calling at Llandaf, Cathays and Cardiff Queen Street.