Oceanographic: Congratulations, Thomas on your win in the Conservation (Hope) category at Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026. It’s a wonderful image of the hammerhead. Can you tell us, what was the first moment you connected with the ocean?

Thomas Pavy: It started when I was really young. I always did a lot of things with my dad: sports, going in the mountains, going to sea. He made me try diving when I was around eight. For health reasons I had to stop for some years, but I could start again as a teenager. At university I decided to focus on the environment. At that point I was diving just for holidays, but I really loved it, and I felt I had to choose between the mountains and the sea. I was born and raised in the mountains, and I did a lot of skiing. In the end I went for the ocean.

I did my master’s degree in marine ecology, and my internship at the end was at Andromeda Oceanology, the company run by Laurent Ballesta and two other partners. That’s where I discovered what an expedition can be, what a rebreather can be, what taking pictures underwater can be. From that point I really thought, this is what I want to do.

Oceanographic: So growing up in the mountains with your father, it sounds like your childhood was filled with adventure. Was science a big part of your life back then?

Thomas Pavy: Not so much, to be honest. There are no scientists in my family. It was more about adventure, being in the wild, looking at animals and landscapes, making sure you don’t throw any garbage and you take care of it. I was more looking for being a park ranger, being out in the field, knowing the place, talking with the tourists sometimes, making sure everything is working well in a protected area. But there are so many people going for those jobs, and you have to be pretty good at school, which was not my case. So I went to uni, and I ended up going more on the scientific side than I expected.

Oceanographic: We’re talking while you are currently on a boat in Corsica, retrieving ghost nets. You’ve described it as a trip that is less about the science and more about the conservation and protection side. How do you balance the two?

Thomas Pavy: It’s also what I like about all the expeditions we do with Laurent. We’re always curious and interested in research, seeing new species, learning the names. But what I love the most is just being there, observing, seeing the beauty of it and the behaviours of species. It’s a big word, but it’s more about trying to be part of it than doing science. And I don’t think you can really separate the two. To do research you need to spend time on the water, and to try to save it you need to understand it. They go together.