The Albatross Cave

Thomas Peschak's Image

The large cave on the side of Te Tara Koi Koia shelters the eggs and chicks of Chatham albatrosses until the young are ready to fly. The island is the only place in the world where they breed naturally, making Thomas one of the privileged few to have witnessed and captured this moment.

Having a single breeding ground means that the future of Chatham albatrosses is insecure. Since the 1980s extreme storms have eroded the soil on Te Tara Koi Koia and destroyed vegetation crucial to nest-building. Conservationists recently translocated a new breeding colony onto the largest of the Chatham Islands to improve their chance of survival.

Behind the lens

Thomas Peschak

Thomas Peschak

Germany/South Africa

Thomas is a National Geographic Photographer and Explorer. He’s a marine biologist who turned to photojournalism to broaden his impact in conservation. Thomas has photographed 15 magazine feature stories for National Geographic and has authored and photographed eight books, including his most recent Wild Seas for National Geographic. As the Director of Storytelling for the Save our Seas Foundation, Thomas merges science and visual journalism to tackle critical marine conservation issues. Plus, his TED Talk titled Dive into an Ocean Photographer’s World has been viewed more than one million times.

Image details

  • Nikon D5
  • 24–70mm f2.8 lens at 32mm
  • 1/200 sec at f18  •   ISO 200  •   B1 and A1 Profoto flashes
  • Te Tara Koi Koia, Chatham Islands, New Zealand
Copyright in WPY competition photographs remains the property of the respective photographers. You may not copy, share, reproduce or republish the photographs except as expressly permitted by copyright law. For media image usage enquiries, please contact us.

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