Tui De Roy: Wildlife Photographer and Conservationist
Tui De Roy is a renowned wildlife photographer and author specializing in capturing little-known species in remote corners of the globe. Her work has taken her to all seven continents, often in extreme environments where pristine habitats still exist. Read about Tui’s impressive bio of a lifetime of photography, book writing and adventuring in the world’s most remote spots here.
May 2009: Andean Cloud Forest Expedition Tui contacted us before heading to the Andean cloud forest on a woolly tapir expedition, searching for reliable raingear to protect her and her camera. She needed something durable that could withstand constant brushing against wet surfaces. After trying various breathable jackets that failed, she sought our advice.
‘I have five breathable “waterproof” jackets from various brands; unfortunately, they all soaked through within a few weeks of use. Do you have any suggestions to solve my dilemma?’
Post-Trip Report: Upon returning, Tui reported, “All we found was rain and fog, but your jacket performed admirably, keeping me dry even after scraping through scrub all day with a heavy pack. My travel companions were impressed as they got miserably wet.”
January 2010: Antarctica Trip Tui shared photos from her Antarctica trip, praising the gear’s performance. She noted that our outfits were far superior to the parkas provided on board, especially highlighting the hood’s coverage of the neck and chin and the freedom of movement offered by the overtrousers and stretch pants. She added ‘the 4×4 stretch pants were superb, and the combination of merino and wicking underlayers worked a dream.’
February 2010: Laikipia Plateau, Kenyan Highlands
Tui and her team were invited by a local conservation group to photograph in the Laikipia Plateau in the Kenyan Highlands. In exchange for assembling a large-format book, we were to be hosted by a series of private wildlife reserves across the region. Completing ‘Kenya’s High Country’ took two years, four extended stays and about 350 photographer/days in the wilds.
2013: Return to Galapagos Tui returned to the Galapagos Islands to care for her ailing mother. Climbing volcanoes, diving with sharks, turtles, orcas, penguins and iguanas, and discovered behaviours that neither I nor anyone else had ever witnessed or and rediscovered her love for the islands. She spent months climbing volcanoes, diving with marine life, and documenting behaviours never before seen.
January 2017: Galapagos Conservation Tui became an active patron of Friends of Galapagos NZ (FOGNZ), volunteering with the Charles Darwin Research Station to study the endangered Galapagos Vermillion Flycatcher. They spent three weeks on Alcedo Volcano, home to thousands of giant tortoises. This place had been the subject of her first published photos and article aged 18, returning 45 years later made it a it a dream come true.
2020: Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative Tui wrote an article about her Giant Tortoise expedition and the broader history of the Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative.
May 2020: Covid Lockdown Tui described feeling like a “butterfly suspended in a spider web, perfectly intact, but frozen in time and space, ageing.”
January 2024: Return to New Zealand Tui celebrated her 70th birthday in New Zealand. She returned to Galapagos despite her concerns about tourism due to the political situation in Ecuador, continuing on her current project, sea turtles.
June 2024: Sea Turtle Project Tui is working on a large-format book, “The World of Sea Turtles,” blending science with natural wonder. Her research has taken her from Mexico to the Maldives, the Caribbean to Indonesia.
She has created a collection of blog posts about highlights of these trips and
launched a KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN to support her project.
Tui’s Earth Sea Sky favourites:
- Prolite classic shirt and shorts: ideal for hiking under heavy load in the tropical heat; they never seem to get dirty even after profuse sweating
- Taslan Shorts: perfect around boats, as they shed water and hardly get wet; very comfortable.
- Vertical (now Whipper) Hoody: superb for cold, damp evenings and dawn photography; snug hood keeps mosquitoes away from my neck and cheeks.
- Synergy (now Echo or Victory): super-duper to whip out of my pack pocket at the approach of a thunderstorm; excellent hood keeps the water out of my face and even helps protect my camera.
- Hydrophobia (long rain jacket): my absolute workhorse in colder, wetter conditions; has never let me down no matter how persistent the rain, with load, through brush, anything.
excellent, with exceptional freedom of movement over the various other layers. - Vent X Overtrousers: excellent, with exceptional freedom of movement over the various other layers.
- Merino Beanie: the ONLY beanie I’ve ever owned that doesn’t creep down over my eyes. I’ve lived in fear of losing it (actually I DID lose it on the Antisana Expedition and back-tracked painstakingly until I found it!).
July 2024. Support Tui as she embarks on her self supported project with the SEA TURTLES
