About Me
Raised on the wild northern coast of Scotland, Calum Stronach grew up with a deep reverence for the sea. Inspired by natural history documentaries and the iconic voices of underwater filmmakers, it was the haunting beauty of sequences filmed beneath sea ice that first sparked his passion for exploring the unknown. That spark led to a life defined by water, wildlife, and the pursuit of powerful storytelling through the lens.
Calum followed in the footsteps of those who inspired him—earning a degree in marine biology, qualifying as a commercial diver, and ultimately joining the British Antarctic Survey as their Field Diving Officer.
Each chapter of his journey has been forged by grit, resourcefulness under pressure, and a willingness to take on the tough, often unglamorous work that others avoid.
His career in natural history filmmaking began in Antarctica, serving as safety diver and additional cinematographer on National Geographic’s Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory, produced by Wildstar Films. There, off the icy coast of Elephant Island, Calum and the team captured the largest gathering of fin whales ever recorded—an extraordinary moment in wildlife cinematography.
Since then, Calum has contributed to a growing list of high-profile productions, including:
- Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory (National Geographic / Wildstar Films)
- Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory / Sentient (National Geographic / Wildstar Films)
- Our Planet II (Netflix / Silverback Films)
- Home: Africa (BBC Natural History Unit)
- Palau Promotional (Explore.org / Salt + Air Studios / Rogue TV)
- Shark Whisperer (Netflix / Boardwalk Films)
- Surfline Teahupoo Livestream (Salt + Air Studios)
- Faces of the Fleet – Episode 31 (Clickon Media / U.S. Navy)
- Pole to Pole (National Geographic / Disney+ / Nutopia)
- Wild Side of the Moon (Sky Nature / Humble Bee Films)
Whether diving under sea ice in the polar extremes or capturing fragile moments with elusive wildlife, Calum brings a unique combination of scientific knowledge, field expertise, and cinematic intuition to every production. His work continues to be driven by a love for wild places, a respect for the stories they hold, and a belief in the power of film to connect people to the planet.
Whether he’s diving beneath polar sea ice or capturing rare moments with elusive wildlife, he brings a unique blend of scientific understanding, field experience, and cinematic instinct to every natural history project. His work is driven by a deep love for wild places, a respect for the stories they carry, and a belief in the power of film to connect people with the natural world.
With over a decade of extreme commercial diving experience, Calum operates at the intersection of high-risk commercial diving and natural history filmmaking. His background includes deep-water salvage, welding and burning operations, offshore renewables, surface decompression procedures, marine biology surveys, medic and chamber management—often in hostile environments where precision and safety are non-negotiable. As a certified Dive Medic Technician with extensive experience as well as practical decompression chamber experience, Calum brings a level of operational discipline rarely seen in the wildlife film industry. These skills translate seamlessly into polar diving, where he specializes in working beneath sea ice—navigating sub-zero temperatures, limited visibility, and complex logistics to capture powerful underwater sequences. His ability to safely lead and support diving operations in these extreme conditions make him an invaluable asset in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in natural history production.