A Navy ship has been spotted off the coast of Cardigan Bay.

The ship was spotted by Rich Wilcock who took these photographs of the huge vessel out to sea off the coast of Criccieth.

The ship, which has helicopters on board, is believed to be the RFA Argus.

According to the Royal Navy, the principal role of RFA Argus is to serve as a primary casualty receiving ship.

Rich Wilcock - Navy ship
Spotted off the coast of Criccieth (Rich Wilcock)

“She has a fully equipped 100-bed medical complex on board, which includes an emergency department, resuscitation and surgical facilities, and a radiology suite complete with a CT scanner,” the Royal Navy website explains. “The personnel of RFA Argus boast more than 40 different medical and surgical specialities and are drawn from the MOD Hospital Units and Royal Marines Band Service.”

Rich Wilcock - Navy ship
The ship is believed to the the RFA Argus (Rich Wilcock)

The vessel weighs 28,081 tonnes, is 175 metres in length and has a top speed of 18+ knots. The commanding officer is Captain Kevin Rimell RFA. The marinetraffic.com website has the Argus on a journey from Plymouth to an unknown destination.