We’re excited to be giving away two copies of Whales, Snails and Lobsters Tales by Andrew Penniket to our GrownUps members!
To be in the draw, simply make sure you’re a GrownUps member, signed up to our newsletter, and fill in your details at the bottom of the page.
About Whales, Snails and Lobsters Tales
A fascinating memoir of a New Zealand underwater cameraman, published on the 50th anniversary of New Zealand’s first marine reserve, at Goat Island.
In Whales, Snails and Lobster Tales, underwater cameraman and documentary maker Andrew Penniket draws on fifty years of diving adventures across the South Seas, from witnessing the majesty of life under the Antarctic ice to being defecated on by a sperm whale in Tonga. He dances with swimming snails at Kaikōura and reveals the intimate lives of lobsters in the dead of night.
These are stories of sea-loving people and remote places, great success and total failure. Penniket reveals the challenges of filming octopus and the trials of following an orca tribe around New Zealand. He journeys to the bottom of Milford Sound, gets squashed by a submersible in the Marlborough Sounds and witnesses one of nature’s greatest spectacles — the courtship of giant cuttlefish, the peacocks of the sea.
He voyages to remote volcanoes to film their tame grouper and takes us cave diving inside mountains. We travel to subantarctic islands swarming with penguins and sea lions then venture far out to sea to chase bluefin tuna.
There are baffling mysteries and behaviours never seen before, illuminating science and entertaining anecdotes — even talking fish. We encounter serious problems in our seas but also solutions to some of its troubles.
Entertainingly written and complemented with stunning photographs, Whales, Snails and Lobster Tales will appeal to anyone interested in the sea: divers, fishers, students, adventurers, and nature lovers.
Author Note
‘After four decades of underwater filming, I am recording some of my abundant memories and stories for other divers, students, fisherfolk, adventurers, nature lovers and anyone interested in the sea. I relive adventures and trials – the dangers of cave diving and the pain of filming in subfreezing waters under the ice in Antarctica. And I reminisce about the beauty of fragile coral reefs in Fiordland and the joys of diving with jumping dolphins and courting whales.
During my long career, I have witnessed and filmed for the first time many intimate behaviours, including the sensitive courtship and mating of triggerfish, panicking stingrays pursued by orca and the spectacular pre-dawn release of lobster larvae. Via the television screen, I have been privileged to share these events with millions of people around the world, and now I am revealing a bit of the background: anecdotes about animals and people, the obstacles and dangers encountered, the struggles and the rewards.
Throughout my years of travel, working in both remote locations and more familiar surroundings, I have observed many of the challenges facing the oceans today. But I have also encountered solutions to many of its problems, sometimes simple answers – better ways to manage the sea that can bring great improvements to its health and well-being.
The timing of this memoir is especially relevant as this year is the 50th anniversary of New Zealand’s first marine reserve, at Goat Island. Having snorkeled and dived in the reserve for nearly 60 years, I can offer a rare insight into the remarkable changes this undersea habitat has undergone, transformed from impoverished kina barrens to lush kelp forests full of fish and lobsters. Marine reserves are among the most positive and essential directions for the future of our seas.’
About the Author
Andrew Penniket is an award-winning underwater cameraman and documentary maker whose career has spanned four decades. Since starting with TVNZ’s Natural History Unit in Dunedin, his work has featured in acclaimed international productions for many broadcasters, including BBC, National Geographic, NHNZ and Discovery Channel. Trained as a biologist, Andrew has combined extensive knowledge of marine life with an artist’s eye, developing a reputation for capturing intimate, behaviour-driven sequences that reveal both the beauty and mystery of underwater life, from the midnight rambles of lobsters to the cooperative hunting of orca tribes. His images and films have been widely used to support marine protected areas, and he is a staunch advocate for increased conservation in the sea.
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The competition closes on 4th February 2026. Winners will be notified via email by 4th February 2026.
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