Year after year, new and returning holidaymakers would make a point of visiting a prominent seaside landmark in a Gwynedd resort. So when it suddenly disappeared a month ago, social media was hit by a tidal wave of crying emojis. “We take a photo standing by it every year!” wailed one woman.
Another added: “I hope it’s getting put back – been there for years.” Since 2007, Barmouth’s statue of four water-spouting dolphins has evolved into a symbol of the town’s links with the sea. It's become a must-visit for family photos and, via its “make a wish, save a dolphin” concept, a way of collecting thrown coins for the Seawatch Foundation.
READ MORE: Anglesey holiday park development plan rejected amid road safety fears READ MORE: 20mph in Wales: First crash statistics released by Welsh Government Their disappearance prompted one or two mutterings of villainy and wrongdoing. “They’ve been robbed,” asserted one visitor. “Isn’t there cctv looking after the site?” wondered another.
The town’s unique dolphin water feature, on a stone jetty near the Harbour Master’s Office, was completed in October 2007. Conceived by the Barmouth Resort Improvement Group (BRIG), it reinforced the idea that the resort was a prime spot for seeing dolphins in Cardigan Bay. The statue was located in a specially-built pool and lights were added later to highlight the dolphins at night.
But winter weather on the Gwynedd coast is not always kind and, in the intervening 17 ye.
