One viral photo and thousands of comments and messages

With the photo of two penguins cuddling up to each other in front of the Melbourne skyline at night, German film maker Tobias Baumgaertner wanted to document the negative impact of humans on the colony of Little Penguins. The result however, is a completely different picture. And it has been going viral ever since it was published on the internet in 2020. We spoke to Tobias Baumgärtner and set the record straight about these penguins in this first interview he ever gave to the press.

Das Foto von Tobias Baumgärtner entstand 2019 und gewann 2020 den Community Choice Award der Ocean Photography Awards. Source: Supplied / Tobias Baumgärtner

Tobias Baumgärtner setzt sich mit seiner Arbeit vor allem für die Umwelt und den Naturschutz ein. Credit: Tobias Baumgärtner