A combination of in situ Scanning Vibrating Electrode Technique (SVET), and time lapse photography were used to investigate the influence of the amino acid, Ltryptophan, on the localized corrosion occurring on unpolarized zinc (Zn) samples immersed in a 0.17 mol.L-1 aqueous sodium chloride electrolyte. The addition of 1 x 10-2 mol.L-1 of L-tryptophan was found to have a significant effect on the corrosion rate for all pH values tested. At both pH 2 and pH 7, primary protection was suggested to occur as a result of adsorption due to electrostatic interactions. A secondary mechanism, whereby an insoluble complex is formed between Zn (II) ions and anionic L-tryptophan, was also proposed to occur at areas of localized high pH. At pH 2 the additions resulted in an 88 % decrease in mass loss, as measured by gravimetric mass loss results and SVET, demonstrating the effectiveness of L-tryptophan inhibitors for this material.