TUI DE ROY

Tui is a naturalist/writer, wildlife photographer and conservationist who has combined these three passions into a successful career as a world communicator in these fields. She is Belgian by birth but her parents took her to lead a pioneering lifestyle in the Galapagos Islands of South America at the age of two, where nature was her private classroom, long before the islands drew international attention from the scientific community.

During her formative teenage years, Tui spent much time in the company of scientists in various fields of Galapagos research, both learning from them and sharing her own intimate knowledge of the islands. Later she became the first National Park licensed naturalist to serve the budding tourist industry. She never attended school, being home taught, and is fluent in four languages: English, French, Spanish and German.

An interest in photography, coupled with her naturalist's interpretive eye, helped to launch her life's career in nature photography and writing. Her first articles for major U.S. nature magazines appeared when she was 19, followed a few years later by her first book, GALAPAGOS: ISLANDS LOST IN TIME (Viking 1980). She is also co-author of several other volumes: WILD ICE: ANTARCTIC JOURNEYS (Smithsonian 1990), DAWN TO DUSK IN THE GALAPAGOS (Little Brown, 1991), and PORTRIATS OF GALAPAGOS (self-published with Mark Jones, 6 editions). Her latest books are GALAPAGOS: BORN OF FIRE (Bateman & Firefly 1998, Australian Geographic 1999), GALAPAGOS - AUS FEUER GEBOREN (Tecklenborg, 2000), SPECTACULAR GALAPAGOS (Hugh Lauter Levin 1999) and THE ANDES: AS THE CONDOR FLIES (Bateman & Firefly, 2005), NEW ZEALAND: A NATURAL WORLD REVEALED, (Bateman & Firefly, 2006). She is currently working on ALBATROSS: THEIR WORLD, THEIR WAYS together with Mark Jones and Julian Fitter.

Tui's photos and writings continue to appear regularly in major magazines in over twenty countries. In addition, she has lectured extensively in various parts of the U.S., Europe and New Zealand, as well as being the feature of a one-hour US TV program on her work in the Galapagos. She is active in international conservation circles, sitting on the boards of several organizations in North and South America.

After more than 35 years of living in the Galapagos Islands, Tui relocated to the South Island of New Zealand 15 years ago.

Write to TUI!  photos@rovingtortoise.co.nz

Awards:

- Trudy Farrand and John Strohm Magazine Writing Award, 1997, National Wildlife Federation, USA, “For Excellence in Magazine Writing”

- Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 1996, Two finalists
Highly commended: Wildlife Portraits category, "Bearded seal, Arctic"
Highly commended: Wild Places category, " Galapagos marine iguanas & erupting volcano, "

- Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 1997, Runner up
Second place: Underwater category, "King penguins swimming"

- Kiriama Book Prize, 1998, Finalist,
“Galapagos, Islands Born of Fire”

- Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador, 1999,
“For Important Contributions to Conservation”

- Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, USA, 2002,
“For Courage and Active Service to Protect Life in the Sea”

- Municipal Government of Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Ecuador, 2002,
“For Cultural Merit”

- Picture of the Year International 2003, Missouri School of Journalism, Second Place, Science and Natural History category, “Feeding Frenzy: Brazil’s Caimans”

- Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition 2004, London, Two Runner ups
Second place: Wildlife Portraits category, "White capped albatross pair"
Second place: Dusk to Dawn category, "Galapagos giant tortoises at sunrise"

- North American Nature Photography Association,
“Outstanding Nature Photographer of the Year 2005”

Featured in:

- MAGNIFICENT MOMENTS: THE WORLD'S GREATEST WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHS (book), Willow Creek, 1995

- GALAPAGOS, MY FRAGILE WORLD (television special)
Audubon Society, Turner Broadcasting, 1986

- WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR,
competition judge, final panel, 2001 & 2002

- LIGHT ON THE EARTH: TWO DECADES OF WINNING IMAGES (book)
BBC Books 2005

Conservation affiliations:

- Board of Directors, Chaparri Programme, Peru (Spectacled bear community-based conservation) http://www.chaparri.org

- Board of Advisors, Galapagos Conservation Fund, USA;
Lindblad Expeditions, New York.

- Board of Advisors, Sea Shepherd International, USA;
http://www.seashepherd.org

- Advisor to: International Galapagos Tour Operator's Association, USA; http://www.igtoa.org

- Board of Directors, Charles Darwin Foundation Incorporated, USA;
http://www.galapagos.org.

Tui is represented by Auscape and Minden Pictures - find her images HERE!

Visit our Bookshelf to buy Tui's books

NEW BOOK!

ALBATROSS BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT

The albatross is a creature of legend, of poetry and of dreams. It is the ultimate nomad, whose sailplane wings - the longest of any living bird - harness the shrieking winds of the southern ocean as it glides around the globe. This master of wind and wave is also the subject of intense scientific scrutiny and fascinating revelations. But just as we are discovering the magic of these glorious birds, they are becoming increasingly threatened; today, over three-quarters of all albatross species are edging towards extinction, making them the world’s most endangered multi-species bird family.

ALBATROSS: THEIR WORLD, THEIR WAYS is both a celebration of these amazing creatures and a call to ensure their future survival. It features photographs by Tui De Roy, inspirational first-person writing, and research by leading international experts, along with a factual natural history section with detailed information on each albatross species. It is the most comprehensive book on these birds to date, endorsed by Birdlife International and many other organizations with an interest in protecting albatrosses.

FEATURES:
• Groundbreaking format combines science, adventure, photography, lore
• All species covered in every detail
• Lavishly illustrated with breathtaking photos by Tui, Mark and others
• Foreword by HRH Prince Charles
• Introduction by Carl Safina, acclaimed author of Eye of the Albatross
• Endorsed by BirdLife International, ILCP and leading conservation organizations worldwide
• Tui recounts her albatross encounters in the farthest corners of the planet
• Mark explores man’s relationship with the world’s most endangered multi-species bird family
• Julian details all that is known about each of the world’s 22 species
• 17 additional essay contributions by top albatross experts reveal latest scientific discoveries


Tui De Roy is a world renown wildlife photographer, award-winning writer, adventurer and conservationist specialising in little known subjects and locations.

Mark Jones is an accomplished wildlife photographer, author and accredited offshore skipper with experience in southern latitudes sailing.

Julian Fitter is a widely travelled naturalist, ardent conservationist, and author of several nature guidebooks.