A man has devoted his life to searching for the Loch Ness Monster every day for the past 35 years, and even met his wife during his quest. Steve Feltham, 63, moved to the legendary loch in 1991 seeking an adventure and to find the mythical creature. He quit his job installing security alarms in Dorset and began living in a converted mobile library van, which he now calls the Loch Ness Monster Headquarters.
Based at Dores Beach, beside the world-famous Scottish lake, Steve has spent more than three decades scanning the waters daily. He claims to have seen Nessie once during his first year at the loch but has not spotted the creature since. He also met his wife, Hilary, near the loch 20 years ago; they married during lockdown and now live separately to allow Steve to focus on his research, though they see each other regularly as Hilary lives in Inverness.
A Lifelong Obsession
Steve, who has been fascinated with the monster since the age of seven, told The Sun about his one sighting: 'In year one of being out here full-time, I was parked on the end of the canal, and waves were coming onto the loch. Something caught my attention, shooting through the water, directly against those waves, making a splash as it hit each oncoming wave, like a torpedo going through the water. All I could see was a white streak of something going very fast through the water – almost like a jet ski, but without the jet ski. As soon as it subsided, I thought, “damn it, I should have photographed that, that’s my job”. I thought that’s the photograph missed, but it won’t be long before there will be another opportunity.'
Now, Steve spends much of his time debunking false reports. He estimates that about 90% of sightings can be explained naturally or as genuine mistakes. However, he also encounters deliberate hoaxes, especially with the rise of AI-generated images. 'I didn’t realise when I set off, how much of my time would be taken up with disproving deliberate hoaxes,' he added.
Life at the Loch
To support himself, Steve crafts and sells handmade clay sculptures of Nessie to visitors, priced between £10 and £20. He also talks with tourists, watches the loch, and takes boat trips to search for evidence. His dedication comes after the first new Nessie sighting in months reignited public interest, when American tourist Tony Inhorn reported seeing a 'dark-greenish grey body' rising two feet out of the water near the Caledonian Canal entrance on March 1 this year.
