'Killer whale was literally within two metres of the rock' – Orca Watch ends with unforgettable sightings for Moray man
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Killer whale followers feared they would draw a blank during Orca Watch 2021 when thick fog lingered for days – but their perseverance was rewarded with some unforgettable sightings when the weather improved.
Steve Truluck who's from Hopeman is one of a group of dedicated watchers who stayed up through the night on Friday as a pod made its way along the Caithness coast.
Steve said it was "absolutely incredible" to encounter orcas as close as two metres from the shore while they hunted seals.
Before Orca Watch began there had been good sightings
However, then the haar rolled in.
"It was awful weather for watching," Steve said.
"Everyone was really excited knowing there were orcas around, and then the weather closed in.
"There were certain people who had never seen killer whales and, bless them, they were sitting in the fog and freezing cold basically with no chance of seeing anything, let alone killer whales."
The gloomy conditions eventually cleared and by last Friday there were sightings of minke whales, some porpoises and the occasional Risso’s dolphin.
The group then got word of a pod of killer whales travelling along the north coast.
Steve said: "The 27s are a pod known for coming right into shore. They are the ones that everyone wants to see because they come so close, and that’s what they did for the rest of the day. It was absolutely amazing.
"We watched them at Reay and they killed a porpoise. They carried on travelling east so we put the word out."
The watchers saw the orcas make their way past the rocks at Brims as the sun was setting. Steve then moved on to Scrabster.
"I took a punt and went to Holborn Head which proved to be an amazing gamble," he said.
"We were standing there and the orcas turned into the bay. I’m not exaggerating here – one of the orcas was literally within two metres of the rock, hunting.
"A seal was sitting in front of us and the orcas were all lined up with a male at each end. The male at our end, ID number 72, came right in, heading in straight at us, swirled round below us and then went off past the rocks.
"Another animal, I think one of the females, came shooting in after it as well, trying to get the seal out of that little corner. I’m not going to lie, it was absolutely incredible."
Rather than turn in for the night, the watchers continued east and by sunrise, shortly after 4am, were watching the pod close to St John’s Point.
Steve, who developed a passion for watching whales and dolphins after moving north to live on the Moray coast, is skipper and guide for Hebridean Whale Cruises at Gairloch.
"It was an amazing experience," he said. "That is exactly the reason why I come up to Caithness every year.
"That doesn’t happen in Moray. I’ve been watching killer whales from the house but they’re distant."
He added: "I’m not really a scientific person.
"Orca Watch, from Sea Watch Foundation’s point of view, is about getting data and getting sightings.
"But my role at Orca Watch is to just kind of enthuse people and get them to see killer whales."
Steve Truluck's Facebook page is SteveTruluckAtSea
Related article: Dolphin encounter of a Moray Firth lifetime!
