Tales from the deep
Andrew Penniket's fascinating memoir of life below the surface
For many Kiwi marine lovers, Andrew Penniket needs little introduction. The award-winning underwater cameraman and documentary maker, who started his career with TVNZ's Natural History Unit in Dunedin, has spent his career exploring life below the surface, and his work has featured in international productions including National Geographic, BBC and the Discovery Channel. Now he's put some of those experiences into a memoir - Whales, Snails and Lobster Tales - and it's a wicked read.
"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," says Andrew. "I relieve adventures and trials - the dangers of cave diving and the pain of filming in subfreezing waters under the ice in Antarctica. I also reminisce about the beauty of fragile coral reefs in Fiordland and the joys of diving with jumping dolphins and courting whales."
Released at the same time as the 50th anniversary of Goat Island, New Zealand's first marine reserve, this book is a thoroughly entertaining, often jaw-dropping account of some of his adventures from across the South Seas. Andrew has dedicated his life to his craft, and there's rarely a dull moment as he tells some of the tales of his adventures from Antarctica to Tonga and plenty of weird and wonderful places in between.
Andrew is doing several talks as part of the book's release:
Monday May 4th 2026, 6pm, EIT Lecture Theatre One, Napier
Tuesday May 5th, 6pm, Wardini Books, Havelock North
Thursday May 7th, 6pm, Lecture Theatre, 101, Tauranga
Tuesday May 12th, 12pm, Goat Island, Leigh
Tuesday May 12th, 6pm, Bridgehouse, Warkworth
Wednesday May 13th, 12.30pm, Oaks (Old Warkworth Hotel), 9 Queen Street, Warkworth
Thursday May 14th, 12pm, Unity Books, Auckland
Wednesday May 20th, 12pmm, Unity Books, Auckland
Thursday May 21st, 6pm, Schrodinger Books, Petone, Wellington
