Meet The Team
Rich Rees
Founder/Lead Shark Guide
Rich is an accomplished freediver, marine conservation biologist and the co-founder and director of Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme. Returning home to Pembrokeshire and seeking boat-based adventure it didn’t take long for Rich to venture offshore in search of sharks. What he found blew him away. He knew that the incredible wildlife spectacles he witnessed did not tally with the general perception of UK marine wildlife. Celtic Deep was born out of wanting to lift the lid on what was out there. After all, the first step in conservation is a community knowing, and loving what they could stand to lose.
Emma Williams
CIC Managing Director/Lead Shark Guide
Emma is a marine biologist and ocean conservationist, dedicated to exploring and studying the ocean. She is particularly interested in sharks, rays and skates and the impacts of anthropogenic activities. She has contributed to a range of marine projects around the world and started working with Celtic Deep whilst undertaking her Masters at Newcastle University.
As well as guiding, Emma heads up Celtic Deeps non-profit focusing on community outreach and engagement as well as research and conservation.
Becky Tooby
Lead Shark Guide
Becky is a dive instructor and an accomplished freediver with a love of photography and all things ocean. She has experience working on conservation projects abroad.
Mair Elliott
Guide
A former ‘year in industry’ placement student, Marine biology is a career change for Mair. Previous to this she worked in the mental health and neurodiversity field as an advocate, public speaker and peer support worker.
Mair is passionate about introducing people to marine wildlife found around the Welsh Coast and getting people in the water in order to experience these marine ecosystems first-hand. Mair is also an aspiring jellyfish scientist (or jelly-ologist if you will), hoping to study jellyfish ecology.
Year in Industry Students
Each year we take on two students from Swansea Universtiy who come to Celtic Deep for their Year in Industry. It’s an amazing way of giving hands on experience to those students who are passionate about the environment and want to get involved in aspects of what we do here at Celtic Deep. From assisting on our boat trips to aiding in scientific research and delivering outreach activities, as well as gaining qualifications along the way.
Izzy Evans
2022-2023
Izzy is a Marine Biology student from Swansea University undertaking her Year in Industry placement with us. This year she’s swapped the thrills of university and rugby for the thrills of working with the stunning marine life of Pembrokeshire, which she is “absolutely loving”. With a keen interest in all things elasmobranchs, Izzy has found that BRUVS deployments and boat trips offshore to swim with blue sharks has further fuelled her passion to become a shark biologist and conservationist after she graduates.
Elin Mair
2023-2024
Elin is a Swansea University Marine Biology Student currently taking a Year in Industry at Celtic Deep. Although she lives in Aberystwyth, Elin has visited Pembrokeshire on many family holidays – her favourite trip being to see the puffins of Skomer Island.
She is excited to start experiencing the beauty of the Welsh coastline through the world of snorkelling and freediving and is keen to get involved in marine conservation projects and outreach to local communities.
Neo Channing
2023-2024
Neo is a student at Swansea university studying Marine Biology. A keen Scuba diver, and lover of all things marine related, he never misses an opportunity to get in the water, or search for wildlife within rockpools. Passionate about research and conservation, he hopes to pursue these in his future career, which will hopefully allow him to travel the world, studying the amazing biodiversity of the different oceans.
Our Skippers
Andy
Andy is among the most experienced shark fishermen in Pembrokeshire. We’ll always be indebted to Andy for agreeing to take us out to find and interact with the sharks in different ways. His knowledge and understanding of their behaviours have been invaluable to our trips. Andy hosts us on his boat Atlantic Blue.
Gareth
Gareth and his crew host us on a couple of their fleet. The Helen Clair and the Dale Nelson. Gareth has grown up on boats in Dale and what he doesn’t know of the local area isn’t worth knowing. He’s also a bit of a national hero, having just completed a solo Atlantic row to raise money for the MS Society.
Fen
Fen works alongside Andy. A former Navy diver and commercial fisherman, Fen has some of the best stories from a life at sea. If he had his time again he said he’d be a marine biologist. Just don’t bring any bananas in your lunch box! Fen hosts us on his boat Lady Gail.