Guernsey Marine Life

Marine Life in the Bailiwick of Guernsey has been celebrated thanks to a unique stamp issue from Guernsey Post.

Available to pre-order now, the stamps - including an augmented reality miniature sheet - will be launched at Stampex 2013 in London on 20 February.  

The stunning images and footage taken for the stamps are the work of Sue Daly, a world-renowned underwater photographer.  Ms Daly, who lives in Sark in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, was able to capture some of these remarkable fish depicted on this special issue during her summer dives around Sark.

The miniature sheet depicts the rarely seen, thumb-sized Black-face Blenny and, when viewed using the standard camera on a Smartphone or Tablet[1], an exclusive three minute mini-documentary is activated showcasing the fish in their natural habitat.

Also depicted for the Marine Life series is the inquisitive Tompot Blenny (39p) with its comedic bobbly eyes; the distinctive Leopard Spotted Goby (52p); and the spectacularly coloured Red Gurnard (53p), which was captured 100 feet down on the seabed.

Male and female versions of the Cuckoo Wrasse are seen on the 59p and 69p stamp values.  They live in groups with several of the peach-coloured females and a single, stunning blue and orange-coloured male.

Completing the set is the John Dory (74p), which Ms Daly photographed during a night dive in order to capture its strange beauty.

Bridget Yabsley, Philatelic Marketing Co-ordinator at Guernsey Post, said that the issue had been a pleasure to work on from start to finish:

"Sue is an incredibly talented photographer and the quality of her work is clearly demonstrated in this captivating set of stamps. We are particularly delighted with the introduction of our first augmented reality stamp; by downloading the free app on a Smartphone or Tablet, our collectors will be able to view a captivating a mini-documentary on these fabulous fish."

-End release-

Press enquiries to:

Sarah Amies, pr consultant, 01484 687040/07811 133973
Bridget Yabsley, Philatelic Marketing Co-ordinator, 01481 754609

[1] Users may download a free app to their Smartphone or Tablet.  When the app is installed, special image recognition technology will recognise the stamp and automatically activate the fascinating mini-documentary. A YouTube demonstration is available now on the Guernsey Post website and, for those without the gadgetry required to access the film, it is available to view on the website from 20 February (www.guernseystamps.com).