Steve Sutcliffe was warden on Skomer Island from 1986 - 1993. He recalls a time, in 1962, where he sighted a very large basking shark whilst fishing off Caldey Island.

Recollection as follows:

"Sadly things have changed.

Roughly 1962 I was out in a 25′ boat fishing off Caldey Island when a basking shark drifted past close enough to touch. It was longer than the boat!! Back then we used to see Basking Shark regularly each summer, it wasn’t unusual, but now it would be extremely unusual although the Caldey boatmen told me they had seen one last year (2019).

On the other hand sightings of Common Dolphin are more common in Carmarthen Bay (although still not as frequent as around Skomer/Skokholm/Grassholm) but I don’t know anyone who tries to keep any records."