Celtic Deep

Skomer with Celtic Deep

How many parents have said this while enjoying some well earned 'off duty' time?

Well, enough have said it to us onboard or online for us to listen. We've had so many requests from local families too.

Young people, 12 years or older are now able to join their folks on dedicated family versions of our puffin trips.

The trips are slightly shorter and more affordable, and we've given special attention to guide:client:child ratios in order to make sure our trips remain low impact.

We're hoping that we can share this incredible experience with more families and inspire another generation of puffinatics.

We've put a few dates in the schedule. They'll likely book up fast.

Head to our website to book and take care to select Family Snorkelling Skomer & Skokholm.

We'll be adapting the pacing of the trip to a wider range of experience levels, so if adult company or photography is more your bag then best to stick to the longer format trips.

Team CD x

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Fantastic initiative!

***UPDATE - Now fully booked - please complete this form to be added to the wait list - https://forms.office.com/e/kkrvjutvNB***

We're committed to improving access to our islands and have therefore introduced accessible boat trips round Skomer and Skokholm this season.

These cruises are designed for disabled people and carers/companions to be able to enjoy all that our islands have to offer. Leaving from a wheelchair-friendly jetty, you'll join our expert local guides for a two hour cruise - you'll see Puffins, Chough, Grey Seals, Guillemots and much more!

And the best bit? It's totally FREE.

Come and join us at Manorbier Beach this Saturday for our Spring Beach Clean.

We have adopted Manorbier Beach as part of the Marine Conservation Societies nationwide Beach Clean effort. We will be hosting quarterly cleans here during which we will be recording everything collected and reporting that back to MCS who will be add it to a national and international marine litter database.

All are welcome, but under 16s will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult and sign a parental consent form on the day.

We will bring along some litter pickers and gloves but if you have your own, please bring those along. Gardening gloves work really well.

Art meets science

At the coal face wildlife research is all about creativity and problem solving. The reality is that high tech equipment is modified on the fly with duct tape and cable ties.

If you have the time and patience though - and a good deal of artistic talent, more elegant solutions to 'problems' can be found.

Puffins are naturally curious, but understandably wary of large animals. If you really want them to relax and behave naturally around you, they need to come to you on their terms. You need to be a raft they want to join.

is the wonderful blend of artist and inventor. Totally endearingly unaware that becoming a puffin raft looked eccentric, he just took the steps needed to win the trust of his muse. The photos and paintings he creates speak for themselves.

So not only do our puffin decoys make you look fabulous, they also help us to achieve a low impact wildlife experience. So much so they're currently loaned out to researchers on Skomer who want to get close enough to count the ridges on the rafting puffins bills (a measure of age).

We can't wait to join them. There's still spaces available on our Skomer Snorkelling trips in May, June and early July.

Heed the call of the outdoors with the new training programme provided by Celtic Deep!
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See below for details..

Spring has officially sprung!

We're emerging from our burrows as our favourite birds arrive to reclaim theirs.

Happy 2024 season everyone. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

CD x

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A common sighting on our offshore trips is the magnificent gannet.

The reason we have so many of these sightings is the gannetry on Grassholm, an island off the coast of Pembrokeshire (photo 2). Grassholm appears white due to the sheer number of birds (and guano) on the little 22 acre island.

These wonderful birds are the UK’s largest sea bird, with a wing span of over 6ft! Unfortunately, last year, the colony was severely effected by avian flu causing a 52% decrease in the colony. Nature is resilient, and we hope that they will soon be back to their previously strong numbers.

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It’s feeling a little bit sharky!

Did you know: Our trips don’t end because the sharks aren’t there, in fact they seem to be more frequent this time of year. We have an end of season due to weather. This time of year, we have less gaps in between weather systems to sneak out to the Celtic Deep and see these wonderful creatures.

But where is the Celtic Deep?

The deep is located off the coast, between Pembrokeshire and Ireland, where the waters drop to over 100m in depth. It is an exposed area, with no land in sight and so no shelter from the prevailing south westerly wind and swell. But if it was easy, it wouldn’t be as exciting would it?!

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MEET THE TEAM! This week we are introducing our other student who is spending their year in industry with us:

Hi, I’m Neo ( ) I’m a third year student studying Marine Biology at Swansea university.

I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean, and the amazing animals that inhabit it. Learning to snorkel at a young age, followed by Scuba diving, I’ll never say no to the opportunity to don a wetsuit and dive in. I’ve been lucky enough to explore the waters of the south west coastline, diving wrecks like the M2, as well as abroad like Turkey and Cyprus, where I was lucky enough to befriend an octopus!

I also love rockpooling, and have a real fascination for the intertidal creatures that inhabit them. Some of my favourite finds include Blennies, Nudibranchs and cushion stars.

Working with Celtic Deep has already been the most incredible experience of my marine based career so far. I’ve been mesmerised by Blue sharks offshore, swam with rafts of puffins and had the most amazing encounters with playful seals off Skokholm and Lundy, with many more to come. My freediving abilities have also drastically improved, continuing to do so as my placement progresses.

MEET THE TEAM! In July, we welcomed two marine biology students from for their year in industry 🦈

They have been put straight to work, getting involved in our trips around the Pembrokeshire coast and it’s been great to see their confidence and skills grow already.

Heres a little introduction to ._.mair 😊:

Hello, I’m Elin! I’m a marine biology student at Swansea University, currently on my placement year with Celtic Deep. I have always loved being in or around the sea and have grown up wild swimming in Welsh and Irish waters – getting to wear a thick wetsuit regularly is a nice change!

Before working with Celtic Deep, I had not done much snorkelling and I’ve been loving discovering amazing new underwater habitats and animals over the past few months. Getting the chance to swim with blue sharks in the Deep, and a group of seals off Skokholm have definitely been my highlights.
I am excited to continue exploring the beauty of Welsh coastline during the rest of my placement and am eager to help share the wonders of our marine life with local communities.

Swimming with Blue Sharks in the Celtic Deep! 4K! Come along for the trip of a lifetime as I link up with Celtic Deep, based in Pembrokeshire, Wales as we head out into the Irish Sea for 2 days in search of ...

Even 5 years on we're far from discovering the full extent of this special piece of water called the Celtic Deep. During the warmer months this 100m deep pool hosts some of the most incredible marine megafauna in the UK. A question that has burned away since we started observing these predators.. sharks, dolphins, whales and tuna... what is the Deep like at night? We know from tag deployments that the blue sharks are active, and at the surface at night. Does their behavior differ from the languid opportunists that treat us to hours of their company during the day? Last night in partnership with we grabbed an opportunity to find out. A small group of us drifted over 9 miles through the darkness. A waning crescent moon and distant (and not so distant) lightning lit the way. Our attention however, was fully on what boiled beneath us. Boy what an adventure it was. The Deep did not disappoint!

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Who needs a boat when you’ve got so much to see from the shore!

Shore based snorkelling is for everyone. You don’t need to be deep to see some incredible landscapes and creatures.

Book onto one of our shore based trips to see for yourself. All equipment included 🤿

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Spider crab appreciation post 🦀

The spider crab is another favourite find on our shore based snorkels. Often covered in seaweeds for camouflage or hidden amongst the kelp. They migrate every autumn to deeper waters.

Book on to one of our Explore Snorkels to see if you can find one! (Link in bio)

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Learn to Freedive!

We have SSI level 1 courses running weekly - get in touch or visit our website to find out more!

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Name the creature!

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Always a fun creature to find on our Shore Based Snorkels: the small spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula)

These beautiful little sharks have many common names including Lesser Spotted Dogfish, Rough Hound, Rock Salmon, Sandy Dogfish and Doggie.

They are most active at night and spend most of the day resting on the seafloor

Why not book on an explore snorkel with us and see if you can spot one! link in bio 😊

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Discover British Sharks with Celtic Deep and The Shark Trust Come and join Celtic Deep and The Shark Trust for a beach day exploring and learning about the amazing shark species found around the coast.

We are thrilled to announce that the MARECO blue shark swim-with code of conduct is now available on their website!🦈

Over the past few years we have worked closely with and other swim-with-blue shark operators to help develop a shared code of conduct for interactions with blue sharks (Prionace glauca) in the UK. These documents provide operators and guests with the best operating procedures, in-water behaviour and kit requirements for tourist, operator and shark safety.

You can download the Code of Conduct on their website (link in our bio) or at www.mareco.org.uk

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2: .kother
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19h

NEW Rollover Club Tee!

It might seem a bit odd to bring out a tee that’s dedicated to not seeing sharks.

The fact is, there are an awful lot of moving parts when it comes to weather and nature. 30 miles off the coast of West Wales, those moving parts move around more than most. Sometimes the weather doesn’t play ball, and trips get rescheduled. Sometimes the sharks don’t show up. It is, after all, all on their terms. As it should be.

This design is about celebrating the fact that Celtic Deep customers get this, and despite being on the end of the dreaded WhatsApp message (sometimes multiple times), they dust off the disappointment and pick another date and join the exclusive Celtic Deep Rollover Club.

Our tee has been designed by Pembrokeshire-born artist Matty Davies. Inspired by the Fat Willys and Maui Jim tees that used to be hanging outside every seaside shop here in the 90’s. Printed in Tenby by the boys at .

Available to pre-order now. Delivery in July. Weather permitting.

CD x

New for 2023, we are now offering FREEDIVE COURSES!

We are offering:

🐠 1-day "Try Freediving"
🐠 2-day SSI Level 1 course

For more information and to book, head over to our website:

https://www.celticdeep.org/freediving

📷: Becky Tooby
🧜‍♀️: Mair Elliott

Try something new! 🐠

Yes, we do have some amazing experiences off the coast of Pembrokeshire but we also do shore based adventures too!

🐠 our trips are tailored to the YOU so if you’ve never done it before or if you’re a seasoned freediver, you’ll have a great trip exploring Pembrokeshire from the beach

🐠 all equipment is included (toasty warm wetsuits, mask and snorkel, fins and weights)

🐠 all our guides are enthusiastic about wildlife and conservation so it’s an amazing opportunity to learn as much or as little as you’d like!

🐠 suitable for ages 10 - 99 (just need to be able to swim 25m unaided)

🐠small groups so you get the most enjoyable experience

We are running trips every Tuesday, so book now to secure your spot!

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