A Tasmanian big wave photographer whose image captured "just another moment in the day" has been featured on the National Geographic website.

The publication selected Andrew Chisholm's photo of a feeding frenzy at remote Pedra Branca for its Photo of the Day to kick off the new year.

Chisholm, whose big wave photos are renowned, captured the shot during a trip to the rocky island, 27 kilometres south of Tasmania, several months ago.

But he was unaware for two days that the photo had gained worldwide attention.

"I was getting these emails saying someone had said something about your photo and I thought it was one from last year but it ended up being the Photo of the Day for New Year's Day," he told 936 ABC Hobart.

"So I was pretty excited. I was a day late but it was pretty cool when it happened."

Chisholm was part of a group of five surfers and two photographers who had hired a 60-foot boat to venture down to Pedra Branca, and used surf skis to reach big waves.

At first he did not realise he had captured such a stunning image while waiting for the surf shots.

"Originally I didn't [know]. It was just amazing, there were seals and albatross and gannets," he said.

"The seals were coming right out of the water chasing some sort of feed.

"We don't know what it was but we were out there surfing and that was just another moment of the day really."

A big day that delivered a wave wipe-out

James Hollmer-Cross surfs the Pedra Branca wave moments before being wiped out and sustaining several injuries. ( Supplied: @andychiza )

But it was not the only event that day.

Chisholm also captured big wave surfer James Hollmer-Cross moments before a wave wiped him out and broke his leg in two places.

Pushed underwater, he also perforated an ear drum, tore a knee ligament and suffered a compression fracture in his shin bone.

Hollmer-Cross was taken out by a 20-foot wave but Chisholm said big wave surfers were well drilled in safety at sea.

He was quickly picked up by a surf ski and was well enough to spend several hours nursing his wounds at sea before the party returned.

"People get hurt quite a lot, normally from ankles strapped to the tow. It was a bit nasty," Chisholm said.

"Conditions were OK, the swell was so big ... winds weren't ideal. We were chasing the biggest waves we could find."

Big wave surfer James Hollmer-Cross broke his leg in two places while tackling the Pedra Branca swell. ( Supplied: @andychiza )

Chisholm's interest in surf photography began after staying with a school friend at Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula.

"We started surfing Eaglehawk Neck, the reef there for years on end and over that time [the friend] had all the photos his parents had taken and he'd taken up on the walls of the house and I thought: 'I could to that.'"

"We took a few photos from the safety of the channel and on the rocks and still enjoyed myself and so it grew from that."

He then was tempted by other surfers to venture to the notorious Shipsterns Bluff off southern Tasmania.

"We ended up surfing Shipsterns ... and that was awesome and then it started to, everything went bigger and started from there, exploration and travels around the state."

Chisholm's photos have been seen around the world but he is very clear on what end of the wave he wants to be on.

"I don't surf big waves, no way. I just enjoy taking photos," he said.

"I just enjoy taking photos waiting for the moment.

"You spend all that time on travel and to get the shot on the big days, it's pretty cool."