LOCALS say their beautiful beach has been spoiled by a Hollywood crew filming there and it's ruined their big tourist attraction.
Residents near Angel Bay on the Little Orme, between Llandudno and Penrhyn Bay, where grey seals can be found, claim the safeguarding rules appeared to be different for the movie production.
Anya Taylor-Joy, the star of Queen’s Gambit, was recently photographed at the beach while filming a new Apple Original movie called The Gorge.
Hollywood A-lister Sigourney Weaver and Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller are also said to be involved.
Angel Bay, North Wales, is a popular attraction with nature lovers who come to the top spot to see the seals.
However, during the breeding season visitors are actively discouraged from going even when the seals are not visible.
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At all other times, people are asked to avoid the beach if seals are present.
A sign above the beach warns if the seals are disturbed they could become “distressed”.
It adds: “It may damage their health, stop them from breeding or even cause them to abandon their young".
Pictures of the set show more than 30 crew members on the beach alongside equipment, a tent and a large screen.
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Locals have slammed what they see as apparent double standards.
Residents as well as seal enthusiasts took to social media to vent their anger over the choice of film location.
One local man wrote: “One rule for one, and one for another.”
A woman from Colwyn Bay said: “Nobody should be ‘allowed‘ to go there because they are elite.”
Another lady added: "Whole country banned from going down there. Unless you’re from Hollywood.”
Others described it as “shocking”, “disgusting” and “scandalous”.
One irate man wrote to the North Wales Wildlife Trust (NWWT) to report the film crew for “misuse”.
He said the presence of so many people on the small beach will have “frightened off the seals”.
In his letter, he asked if the film company could be prosecuted.
The man wrote: “How on earth can this be permitted? Surely it’s an offence? It’s certainly an offence against the thousands of members of the public who view the seals and respect that Angel Bay is their preserve.”
Before filming started on June 17, local residents were sent a letter telling them the production company had worked with local authorities, landowners and wildlife groups to ensure minimum impact and disruption.
Experts who witnessed the filming at Angel Bay said they did not see any “negative activity” on the day.
The NWWT said it had received only one letter of complaint.
The trust’s Living Seas manager Nia Jones said: “NWWT representatives were given permission by the film company to observe the filming due to the presence of three to four seals in the water at the time.
“We do not believe that there was negative activity on the part of the film crew who worked with our representatives to ensure that disturbance was kept to a minimum.
“From May through to mid-August, we ask that people avoid heading down into the bay if seals are hauled out onto the beach.
“From mid-August onwards, we increase signage in the area and ask people, voluntarily, to completely avoid going down to the beach.
“This is when larger number of seals are present in the sea and have come ashore to pup and later to moult.”
The filmmakers spent four days in the Llandudno area and also used the Great Orme cemetery as a location.
At this time of year, the seals spend most of their time feeding on fish in the sea and return occasionally to the beach to “haul out” for a rest.
After the outcry, the NWWT intends to add dos and don’ts of seal watching to its website.
The Llandudno coastguard has been known, on occasion, to intervene if the seals are reportedly being “disturbed,” the Daily Post reports.
The breeding season gets underway in the late summer, with the main pupping time coming around late October and early November.
No access restrictions are in place during this time but visitors are urged to avoid the beach completely between late August and January, particularly if they have dogs.
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One woman said on Facebook: “The seals don’t generally haul out there in the summer, but will often bob about there just watching the people, or swimming behind kayakers.
“In general, if you don’t see any seals on the beach, there is no reason why you shouldn’t then go on the beach to film or whatever else you want to do.”
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