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.”

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.”