A New Quay dolphin-spotting boat trip company is celebrating its 70th anniversary this summer.

This amazing milestone is made even more remarkable because founder, Winston Evans, is still working for the company at the age of 85.

This Friday (5 September), the BBC will broadcast ‘Dolphin Town’ on BBC1 Wales, part of the ‘Our Lives’ series, a charming insight into the lives of some of the residents of this small seaside village, which have become intertwined with the wild dolphin population in Cardigan Bay.

The BBC highlighted what to expect from this fascinating documentary: “In New Quay, home to Europe’s largest semi-resident population of bottlenose dolphins, the community is united by a shared love for these mysterious and majestic creatures.

“This programme follows the people whose lives, livelihoods and legacies are tied to the rhythm of the dolphins. It’s an important year for the community - marine biologist Dr Sarah Perry is hoping to reveal more about the enigmatic dolphins by using cutting edge research and collecting samples of dolphin poo!

“Skipper Daf Lewis is looking forward to a busy season of boat tours, while local legend, 85-year-old Winston Evans, will be celebrating 70 years as the owner of the world’s longest running dolphin-spotting tour company.”

When Winston first took passengers out on his boat, Ynys Enlli, in Cardigan Bay in 1955, little did he realise that he was a pioneer, starting a business that would continue to grow for the next 70 years.

Winston, like his father, Arden, was a fisherman by trade. As the fishing industry began to decline, Winston had the foresight to realise there was an opportunity during the summer season to take passengers out on his boat for sightseeing trips around the beautiful Cardigan Bay.

In those early days, he would go out fishing before dawn, then return to New Quay harbour to take out passengers in the afternoon. Winston also became the RNLI’s joint youngest coxswain at the age of 26.

This unrelenting work ethic became the cornerstone of the business and is a value shared by everyone at New Quay Boat Trips today. Winston is a well-respected pillar of the local community but remains humble when asked about his magnificent achievement

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 70 years, sometimes I feel like it was only yesterday,” he said. “I have had a lot of support throughout my life and am grateful for the excellent team working with us today.”

The business has grown considerably over the years and is currently managed by Winston’s son, Jonathan and his wife Gosia.

They are supported by a loyal and dedicated team that operates four boats: Ermol V, Ermol VI, Dreamcatcher and Suncatcher. The boats appeal to passengers of all ages and dogs are welcome free of charge.

Suncatcher is the newest boat, which was custom made to mark the 70th anniversary. This double-deck, purpose-built dolphin spotting catamaran has an island wheelhouse on the lower deck, enabling passengers to enjoy an uninterrupted 360-degree view upstairs.

Suncatcher and the smaller catamaran Dreamcatcher provide wheelchair access. While the flagship Suncatcher is a major investment for both the business and local tourism in Ceredigion, Jonathan believes the new vessel is what customers deserve.

“We are immensely proud that we were one of the first passenger boat operators in Cardigan Bay and are still going strong after 70 years,” he said.

“We felt that we needed to build a boat that would provide the ultimate passenger experience, something befitting for such a special anniversary. A boat that would see us continue to be the number one boat operator in Cardigan Bay for many years to come.”

Cardigan Bay is home to the largest population of Bottlenose dolphins in the UK, a cause for excitement when passengers head out to sea hoping to catch a glimpse of these magnificent mammals.

‘Dolphin Town’ captures this perfectly with a camera crew on board Ermol V as they head out into the bay. The 30-minute feature also gives an insight into important dolphin research carried out off the New Quay coast.

The programme airs on Friday but can also be viewed on BBC iPlayer. There is also a 70th anniversary celebration cruise onboard Suncatcher, where some very special guests make an appearance just for Winston.

Thousands of passengers, over the years, spotted their first dolphin from one of Winston’s boats and so have their children and even grandchildren. Many customers keep returning time and again.

New Quay Boat Trips is a member of MWT Cymru, an independent organisation that represents more than 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Eryri (Snowdonia).