Stephen has lectured about natural history around the world since 2007, having always been fascinated by wildlife. Although marine wildlife is his speciality, his love for and knowledge of other creatures and general ecology is extensive.

In 2006 when a whale swam up the Thames into London, Stephen was volunteering on the rescue and this triggered an old passion. He left three decades in advertising behind to take up the challenge of rejuvenating the whale and dolphin survey charity ORCA and created a cruise programme for the charity that led to him lecturing on cruises worldwide. Stephen became a trustee of the charity shortly after leaving to set up a wildlife motorbike tour company in 2010.

Plans changed though when he was then asked to head up BDMLR, UK wildlife rescue charity. Managing 3,500 trained volunteers, he became an authority on whale and dolphin rescue and sat on a number of panels and advisory groups until leaving in late 2018. In 2019, Stephen planned a four-year trip called 'Around the World in 80 Whales' with the intention of recording as many marine mammal species as possible from a standing start and spending time with other conservationists, rescuers and researchers and promoting their projects. Travelling by motorbike across land, he was hoping to make major sea crossings by cruise ships and supplement his wildlife lectures with talks of this adventure. But then 2020 and 2021 happened, curtailing his plans. Instead, Stephen has been cruising whenever possible and is enjoying his new, if different, life.

An inspiring speaker, his talks are enthralling and enchanting covering all aspects of wildlife and conservation. A willing sharer, Stephen is always willing to discuss wildlife experiences with cruise guests.

As well as giving talks, Stephen also will host wildlife deck watches and marine wildlife question and answer sessions.

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Marine Wildlife

Whales in our waters! - Marine wildlife that is likely to be seen on the upcoming cruise (this is amended to be relevant to each trip).
Seal appeal! - A talk about the seals of the world and their habits.
Big Society! - Social activity of whales and dolphins. Why are some whales solitary and others gregarious. How important is family?
The mystery of mass strandings. - Why do whales and dolphins mass-strand on beaches around the world and how can we rescue them?
Did you hear that? - How does marine wildlife communicate? How do they find their mates and how do they find their prey?
Wet fur! - The seals, sea lions and sea otters of the Pacific.
Tantalising turtles! - Turtles are enigmatic creatures and their life cycle is truly incredible. Hear about the fascinating lives of turtles around the world.
Amazonian River Mammals - Hear about the dolphins, giant otters, manatee, fish and reptiles that live in the Amazon River itself.
How to watch whales! - How to get the best out of whale-watching; how to interpret what you see and how to take good photographs.
The biggest of them all! - A talk about the blue whale, the largest animal there ever has been and the sperm whale, the largest toothed animal.
Sneaky beakies! - A look at one of the rarest whale families, the deep-diving and enigmatic beaked whales.
Feeding frenzy! - How do whales and dolphins find their prey and feed?
Putting something back! - The story of marine wildlife rescue in the United Kingdom.
Whale and Dolphin Conservation - An in-depth look at worldwide threats to whales and dolphins and what is being done to protect them.
Around the World in 80 Whales! - One man’s quest to see as many whale and dolphin species from a standing start.

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Birdlife

Birds of a Feather. Some of the unusual birds we may see on our journey. - Wonder at the beauty and variety of bird species and their ecology.
Happy feet! Penguins and their lives. - Marvel at these enigmatic birds and hear more about their ecology.
High Fliers – Albatrosses of the World - Wonder at the lives of these winged champions of the skies.
Iconic Birds of Asia. - Wonder at the beauty and variety of Asian birds and hear about their life cycles and ecology.
Iconic oceanic seabirds. - Wonder at the beauty and variety of bird species and hear about their life cycles and ecology.

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Itinerary specific

Polars, Grizzlies, Grolars and Pizzlies! Hear about how the big bears of Alaska, live, hunt and survive and how are they protected.
Baloo and the bear necessities. The bears of India. - Discover facts about the bears of India, how they live, survive and their interactions with the human race.
Land mammals of the Amazonian Rain Forest - Hear about incredible mammals such as the cabybara, jaguar, anteater, sloth and monkeys.
Costa Rica - a wildlife paradise. - Admire the beauty, resilience and variety of Costa Rica's wildlife.
Here be dragons! It's lizard time. - Hear about the huge dragons of Komodo and the lizards of Australia; perenti, thorny devil and frilled neck.
Mermaids, marsupials and monotremes! A look at the wildlife of Australia. - Marvel at the diverse and strange wildlife here, and its ecology.
Primates of the East: our cousins of the forests. - Hear about the fascinating primates of Malaysia and Indonesia, including lorises, tarsiers, langurs, gibbons and macaques and others.
Iconic Birds of Malaysia and Indonesia. - Wonder at the beauty and variety of these exotic birds and hear about their life cycles and ecology.
Great birds of the Great Barrier Reef. - Discover facts about some of the forty bird species that live in the Great Barrier Reef area. How do they survive?
Amazing Africa! - The wildlife of Africa.
The Wildlife of Central America - Why is Central America such a haven for wildlife? A talk about incredible biodiversity there.
Dancing no more! - Hear how performing bears were rescued from Indian cities and their care since then.
Pachyderms! Enigmatic Elephants and Rhinos. - Learn about the elephants and rhinos, their status and conservation.
Fascinating Felines! The wild cats! - Hear about lions, tigers, leopards, cheetah and smaller wild cats, their lives and conservation.
Fin, Feather, Fur and Scales! - Usually the final talk on a trip, where Stephen will share his wildlife sightings and photos from the cruise.

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General Ecology and People

Evolution – the men behind the theory - Hear of the extraordinary lives of Darwin, Wallace and others who changed the thinking on evolution.
Cool creatures - how do animals, birds and even insects survive in the extreme cold.
Living in a boiler! - Wonder at the adaptations that many animals have to cope with hot climates and huge variances in temperature.
Patterns of Life - In this talk, Stephen explores the way that colour and pattern is used by many creatures in their lives.
Amazing Adaptations! - How animals are adapted to live in their habitats.
Migratory Marvels! - The wonders of migration. Why do some creatures travel thousands of miles in a year and how do they do it?
How do they do that? - A look at some incredible things that animals can do.
Cruising creatures! - A photographic journey of Stephen’s wildlife sightings from fifteen years of cruises.

Stephen is an experienced cruise lecturer and wildlife guide, having lectured about natural history all over the world since 2007. Having run whale and dolphin survey and rescue charities, marine wildlife is his speciality but his fascination and knowledge of other creatures and ecology is extensive. An inspiring speaker, his talks are enthralling and enchanting. A willing sharer, Stephen is always willing to discuss wildlife experiences with cruise guests. In 2019, Stephen embarks on a four-year trip by land and sea called 'Around the World in 80 Whales' and will supplement his wildlife lectures with talks of this motorbike adventure.

The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.