Brian Skerry

Brian Skerry is a photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife and underwater environments. Since 1998 he has been a contract photographer for National Geographic Magazine, covering various subjects and stories. In 2014 he was one of five photographers named National Geographic Photography Fellow. In 2017 he was named a National Geographic Society Storytelling Fellow, and in June 2017, he was awarded the title of Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Yea

A curious humpback whale calf ‘spy hops’ to get a better look at the photographer taking his picture from the boat.

Brian’s work has also been featured in publications such as Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, BBC Wildlife, Paris Match, GEO, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian, Esquire, Audubon, and Men’s Journal. He is the author of 12 books including the acclaimed monographs Ocean Soul and Shark. His latest book, Secrets of the Whales, released by National Geographic, is part of a multi-platform project he created that includes a cover story in National Geographic magazine and a 4-part series on Disney+.

Brian is an 11-time award winner in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. He has also been recognized with awards from Pictures of the Year International, Nature’s Best, and Communication Arts and is the only photographer to win the coveted Peter Benchley Award for Excellence in Media. In 2010 National Geographic magazine named one of Brian’s images among their 50 Greatest Photographs Of All Time and was awarded the 2016 National Geographic Photographer’s Photographer Award, an honor bestowed by his colleagues.
He has had solo photographer exhibits at Visa Pour l’Image in Perpignan, France as well as cities such as Geneva, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Shanghai, and at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.

A sperm whale calf, about 6 months old, happily swims just below the ocean surface.

Brian frequently lectures on photography, exploration, and conservation issues, having presented at venues such as the United Nations General Assembly, The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, TED Talks, The National Press Club in Washington, DC, The Royal Geographical Society in London and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. He has appeared as a guest on television programs, including NBC’s TODAY Show and CBS’s This Morning and on radio stations across the US.

Brian is the Explorer-In-Residence and a Trustee at the New England Aquarium, a founding member of the International League of Conservation Photographers, Director of The New England Ocean Odyssey for The Conservation Law Foundation, and a Fellow National of The Explorers Club. He also serves as a Marine Fellow with Conservation International and serves on the World Wildlife Fund’s National Council and the WWF’s Marine Leadership Council.

BOOKS
Secrets of the Whales
Ocean Soul
Shark
Successful Underwater Photography
The Ultimate Book of Sharks

2021 EMMY AWARD-WINNING FILM
Secrets of the Whales