MPB Meets: Marine Wildlife Photographer Steve Truluck

After leaving his job as an engineer, Steve Truluck followed his dream to work with marine wildlife in Scotland. In 2023, filmmakers Matt Cannon and Jake Smallwood documented Steve’s journey in the short film Truluck, supported by MPB.

In this interview, Steve shares his background from spotting bottlenose dolphins to working with Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) and seeing orcas for the very first time.

The short film, which is supported by MPB and was created with used kit from MPB, is now available to watch in full. Watch Truluck now, or read on to hear from Steve below. 

MPB: Where did you get your passion for marine wildlife? How did you decide to help others develop that same passion?

ST: Throughout my life, I have always loved being by the water, on the water and in the water. I’m from southern England, and while I was living down there I was always going freshwater fishing. I moved with my job to the Moray Firth, Scotland, and that meant that I was now living by the sea and my fishing was done at sea. 

I started to see the resident bottlenose dolphins from my house and during fishing trips. I became completely enthralled by these incredibly intelligent beings that seemed equally as interested in checking me out too! 

I subsequently was given a spotting scope. From my house, I started seeing Minke whales much further out to sea. I thought that I should be reporting my sightings to someone. 

So, I joined the Shorewatch program, which is a citizen science scheme in Scotland—run by WDC. There I met like-minded volunteers from all over Scotland and I began to see even more amazing creatures, such as humpback whales, and learn more about species worldwide and the threats that they faced.

In 2016, after a three-year search for killer whales, Alan Airey—an amazing man who has been watching the Moray Firth for 25 years—finally put my search to an end. 

He had seen how upset I’d been the day before after narrowly missing seeing orcas at Orca Watch. I’d had to leave early because my friend’s plans had changed. Just two hours after leaving, the orcas appeared! I was mortified. 

The following day, Alan spotted orcas at the back of my house while I was at work, called me and then told me where to point my scope. I was over the moon. I burst into tears and told Alan I loved him! What a feeling it was to finally see these amazing animals—and from home, too. 

Alan and I then put the word out on social media and I saw just how happy every single person was that saw those orcas that day. It was such a good feeling to be able to make so many people happy and to connect people to these amazing creatures. Just a few weeks later, I quit my job and started to pursue working with whales and dolphins.

MPB: Can you tell us more about whale watching, the threats these animals are facing, and what we can do to help?

ST: In Scotland, most whale watching is done from the shore. We are fortunate that a lot of the species we see do come close. Especially the orcas, who are hunting seals close to the coastline. 

Watching from the shore means that the whales are behaving completely naturally. It’s important that, when going whale watching on a boat, you adhere to the codes of conduct and laws that are in place.

Choosing to go out with a responsible and accredited operator—who is, more importantly, experienced with driving near marine mammals—is the best way to avoid any issues.

Marine mammals face many threats the world over. These vary greatly depending on where they are living and each species is affected differently. Threats include entanglement, noise, pollution, pollution from chemicals and our rubbish, boat strikes, being put into captivity and bycatch.

Organizations such as WDC are great at highlighting these threats and campaigning to make the world a better place for whales and dolphins. I recommend learning what we can all do to reduce the threats to these amazing creatures that we are lucky enough to share the planet with.

MPB: What was your favorite thing that happened while making this film?

ST: Unquestionably, seeing all the happy smiley faces of people seeing the orcas and fulfilling their dreams. James is shown in the film seeing his very first orcas—on his birthday of all days. But what you don’t see is that there were people lining the cliffs as the orcas entered Thurso Bay. Then all the way down through Scrabster Harbour and into Thurso itself, there were crowds of people desperate to see the orcas. 

It’s a remarkable experience to be surrounded by so many happy people who are all unified through wildlife watching.

MPB: Can you tell us about your photography? What kit do you use while on location?

ST: I use a Canon EOS R5 with either the Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS or the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS lens. The 70-200mm is my go-to lens on a boat—particularly in Norway or Iceland. I also always take Opticron optics equipment with me for spotting the whales. 

In my camera bag, I always have a small scope, which I can hand-hold or use on a small tripod. And I have a set of 8x42 ED binoculars , which fit into my jacket pocket so that they are handy but also don’t tangle with my camera. 

My camera is on a Peak Design slide strap, which means it’s over my shoulder—sling style—and not weighing down on my neck. Every photo I take is handheld. You must be mobile to keep up with the whales as they travel along the coastline.

MPB: What is the one thing you want people to take away from the documentary?

ST: The meaning of life is happiness. If you’re ever in an unhappy situation, then make changes. The amazing world we live in, which is full of amazing people and amazing creatures, will look after you.

Looking for more wildlife content?

This article is part of the MPB Guide to Wildlife Photography and Videography, our comprehensive look at how to create wildlife imagery, with camera recommendations, advice, and interviews with experts.