Reports are coming in that an Atlantic Bluefin Tuna has been spotted off the Ceredigion coast near New Quay.

Several sightings were made over the weekend when the tuna was seen breaking the surface of the water on numerous occasions.

The sightings were made by local wildlife guide and photographer Joshua Pedley – also known as The Wildlife Man - who confirmed that spotting an Atlantic Bluefin Tuna this far north is extremely rare.

“The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna used to be common in the UK, but unsustainable fishing of them nearly, if not totally wiped them out,” he said.

“Fishing of them was then banned and since then they’ve been able to make a good recovery.

“I first saw a tuna at Strumble Head, which is at the southern edge of Cardigan Bay a couple of winters ago, and this was the first time I’d ever seen one.

"That same winter, I also saw them at Start Point in Devon. “

Joshua went on to say that earlier this year the Sea Watch Foundation encountered tuna on numerous occasions while out surveying the marine wildlife of Cardigan Bay and in the last few weeks there have been further sightings around Strumble Head.

“This is all suggesting that things are starting to look much better for the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna in the UK, but specifically here on the West coast of Wales,” he continued.

“I guess it was always possible that they would venture further into Cardigan Bay to feed, as we have currently have herring in the bay, so the food source is here to support them.”

"My only disappointment is that I was unable to get a photograph of the tuna last weekend.  But I shall certainly keep looking."

The giant tuna fish disappeared from UK waters during the 1960s due to commercial overfishing and a changing climate.

Famed for their size and speed in the water, they can grow to an average 6.5 feet (1.98m) long and can weigh up to 550lbs (249kg).

Andrew Alsop, who runs White Water Charters from Neyland marina, accidentally reeled in a "monster" tuna - weighing about 500lb (226kg) and 7ft 7in (2.3m) in length - while fishing in 2017.

He said in an interview with the BBC that he first started to spot shoals of the fish back in 2012, describing it as an "amazing sight that you'd usually have to go abroad to Africa or America to see".

In October 2022 a giant 900lb tuna, believed to be the biggest fish ever caught in Welsh water, was landed by Bridgend angler Simon Batey when he was fishing in the Celtic Deeps which is approximately 30 miles off the Pembrokeshire coast.

Over the last 60 years, around 80 per cent of the bluefin tuna has been lost from the Atlantic.

“It’s extremely positive to get sightings likes the ones we had over the weekend as it suggests that some recovery is taking place in our marine environment,” added Joshua Pedley.