Penguins on film
Outside of the Tawaki Project’s social media channels and website, most of the new knowledge our work generates about the secret life of our penguins is published as papers in scientific journals, student theses, or technical reports, none of which are necessarily an easy read.
Nature documentaries, on the other hand, not only present crucial information in a digestible format but also reach an audience of millions. Most of Aoteaora’s crested penguin species are unknown to the majority of the public. When was the last time you heard or saw images of Erect-crested (Tawaki nana hī) or Snares penguins (Tawaki nana ho)? Or tawaki for that matter… even many New Zealanders would likely identify tawaki as “yellow-eyed penguin.”
This is why we consider supporting film crews trying to showcase our fascinating penguins to the world a crucial task. Our team comprises experts on the various species and is best equipped to ensure documentaries get their facts straight.
To date, we have worked with productions from New Zealand (NHNZ – Our Blue Backyard, Season 2 & Season 3), Japan (NHK – Wildlife, Looking For Darwin), and the UK (Silverback Productions, Our Planet II on Netflix).