A whale of a time in Wales

Young children frequently get confused between Wales and whales when it comes to spelling, but the connection between the great mammal and the Valleys is more significant than one might think.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ray Bradbury's consummate film adaptation of Herman Melville's classic novel, Moby Dick.

What few people realise is that this epic story of one man's fight to hunt for an elusive white whale was filmed off the coast of Pembrokeshire.

The content of the Gregory Peck film is perhaps some distance away from the reality of a day out on the beautiful Welsh coast, but there is nevertheless a rich vein of marine-life in Wales.

In 2004, three whales were sadly found beached on the Welsh coast, but one was saved and put back into the sea.

There is also the spectacle of around 2,000 bottlenose dolphins, which regularly gather during the summer off the Pembrokeshire coast.

Visitors to Wales keen to catch a glimpse of the dolphins can take boat tours out to sea, where, if they are very lucky, may have a Captain Ahab experience of their own and see a whale.

Wales of course has other maritime experiences to offer, none more so than sea fishing. Either chartering a boat yourself or having a fisherman take you out with them, you can take advantage of the richly populated 750 miles of Wales's coastline.

Fish that you can expect to pit your wits against include bass, cod, trout and pollack. XXX