People visiting the popular Ceredigion community of New Quay for school half term break in February are in for a treat, as dolphin spotting trips are set to begin earlier this year – weather permitting.

New Quay Boat Trips, run by Winston Evans and his son Jonathan, will be welcoming passenger onboard its Dreamcatcher boat for one hour trips from New Quay pier throughout the day from 11 February.

The company usually begins its trips on 1 April but has brought them forward this year due to the high demand from customers.

“Our new boat allows us to run all year round when weather permits,” said Jonathan. “In New Quay, we are seeing an increase in visitors in the shoulder months which means that people don’t just come to visit us in the summer when the sun shining, but throughout the year which is what we have wanted for a long time.

“All the efforts of the tourism industry and Visit Wales are now paying off.”

Dreamcatcher was built in 2018 specifically to offer all round viewing without a wheelhouse at the front or the back, so that passengers can look over the side of the boat all around. ‘’A dolphin spotting boat trip offers a fun, educational experience for all ages,” added  Jonathan, who was a newspaper photographer in London for 20 years before returning home to New Quay in 2011. “We are a family business which has sailed from New Quay for more than 65 years.

“Our boats sail exclusively within the Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation, home to hundreds of bottlenose dolphins and Atlantic grey seals.’’

Dreamcatcher sails south along the coast passing Birds Rock, The Caves, Cwmtydu and Seals Bay. Passengers have a chance to see some of the many seabirds that nest and feed from the cliffs, and other marine life including Atlantic grey seals, the Harbour Porpoise and Bottlenose Dolphins.