Bailiwick's underwater wonders highlighted on new stamps

Friday, 10 July 2026 17:00

Underwater shots from a Sark-based photographer will be sent around the world on new postage stamps.

Guernsey Post have partnered with photographer Sue Daly to create a new set of stamps, celebrating the beauty and diversity of jellyfish found in the Channel Islands.

The collection includes the common Bluefire Jellyfish, the big Barrel Jellyfish (which can grow to around 89 centimetres), and the bioluminescent Mauve Stinger.

Sue says they are visually striking creatures.

"They're a lot more beautiful in the water where they belong than when we see them just looking down from the surface or, even worse, when they're washed up dead on the beach.

"Up close, they pulse with life, and sometimes there's like little iridescent movement to them as well.

"They're absolutely stunning."

Sue says jellyfish are a vital part of the marine ecosystem.

"Jellyfish feed on little tiny planktonic creatures. Some of the larger ones will actually feed on any small fish that might get tangled in their tentacles.

"Then there are other creatures that feed on jellyfish. Seabirds will take jellyfish, things like crabs and lobsters will eat them, and also they're a really important food source for the big leatherback turtle, which is the cold water turtle that we do sometimes see in these waters."

Sue says photographing these remarkable creatures isn't without its risks:

"I did once get stung by a Bluefire jellyfish.

"Their tentacles can be three or four feet long. By the time I'd noticed it, the tentacles had just wafted across my face.

"I was scuba diving, so the only part of my face that was exposed was my lips. It looked like I'd had some really bad Botox for a couple of hours."