Brian Skerry
Discover Brian Skerry—American underwater photographer, visual storyteller, and ocean advocate. Learn about his journey, major works, conservation impact, and memorable reflections.
Introduction
Brian Skerry is a U.S. photojournalist, filmmaker, and visual storyteller whose work has focused on the oceans, marine wildlife, and underwater ecosystems. He has become one of the most prominent voices in marine conservation photography, particularly through his long collaboration with National Geographic. His images and films invite audiences to explore beneath the waves, raise awareness about ocean health, and connect humans more deeply to aquatic life.
Early Life and Education
Brian Skerry was born in Milford, Massachusetts (some sources list 1961, others 1962) and grew up in Uxbridge, Massachusetts.
As a teenager, he began diving. He obtained his first SCUBA certification in 1978, having started diving in 1977. His early diving experience opened windows into underwater worlds—a passion that would define his career.
For his formal education, Skerry attended Quinsigamond Community College (earning an associate degree) and then went on to Worcester State College, where he graduated in 1984 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media / Communications.
Career and Achievements
Early Career & Shipwreck Photography
Before becoming known for marine wildlife photography, Skerry explored shipwrecks and underwater landscapes in New England waters. The Boston Globe, showing a shipwreck in Boston Harbor.
Over time, his subjects shifted from wrecks to living marine ecosystems—fish, whales, corals, and the dynamics of underwater life.
National Geographic and Visual Storytelling
In 1998, Skerry became a contributing photographer for National Geographic Magazine. seven cover stories.
His work has included stories on whales, sharks, turtles, coral reefs, the global fish crisis, and other critical marine subjects.
One of his signature projects is Secrets of the Whales, a multi-platform endeavor combining photography, a magazine feature, a book, and a documentary series. Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.
In 2017, he also captured what is likely the first underwater photograph of a sitting U.S. President—Barack Obama—snorkeling near Midway Atoll.
Exhibitions, Fellowships & Honors
Skerry’s work has been shown in museum and gallery exhibitions worldwide. Some notable exhibits:
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Portraits of the Planet: The Photography of Brian Skerry — Smithsonian & travel exhibitions
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Sharks: On Assignment with Brian Skerry — a traveling exhibit through National Geographic Museum
He has been recognized with numerous honors:
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In 2014, named a National Geographic Photography Fellow
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In 2017, named a National Geographic Society Storytelling Fellow and Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year
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Recognized in awards related to ocean advocacy and imagery.
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Role as Explorer-In-Residence at the New England Aquarium
Furthermore, he is a Founding Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers — a network of photographers committed to conservation causes.
Historical Context & Influence
Skerry occupies a key role at the intersection of nature photography, environmental communication, and marine conservation. His generation of photographers, following pioneers such as Jacques Cousteau’s imagery and earlier underwater photographers, has the challenge of visualizing a world under threat: warming oceans, coral bleaching, overfishing, plastics, and climate change.
In this context, Skerry’s images do more than document—they advocate. By combining aesthetic power with narrative urgency, he helps shape public opinion about our oceans, influences conservation policy, and encourages deeper emotional and scientific engagement with marine environments.
His Secrets of the Whales project is particularly important: it treats whales not as objects, but as cultural, social beings. This reframing encourages audiences to see marine life as more than spectacle—as communities with behavior, kinship, and challenges.
Skerry’s work also arrives in a time when drone imagery, satellite surveillance, citizen science, and AI are transforming how we see nature. Yet the human-diver lens remains crucial to capturing subtle underwater moments: intimate animal behavior, light changes, micro-habitats. Skerry continues to use that vantage effectively in a changing media ecology.
Personality, Philosophy & Approach
Brian Skerry is often described as deeply passionate, curious, persistent, and mission-driven. His impulse is not just to photograph, but to understand, connect, and protect.
He treats storytelling as central—images alone are not enough; the narrative around them, the science they accompany, and the call to action they support are all part of his craft.
His approach combines patience, humility in nature’s presence, and willingness to work in difficult, dangerous conditions—cold water, depth, remote locations, unpredictable behavior of animals. He often free dives and works in challenging lighting and motion, pushing technical and emotional boundaries.
Skerry also sees photography as an ethical space: the act of bearing witness to habitat loss, to species under threat, to the quiet workings of underwater life. His work often emphasizes that small changes in human behavior—consumption, policies, fishing practices—can ripple out in marine systems.
Famous Quotes & Reflections
Here are several quotes and ideas attributed to Brian Skerry that reflect his perspective:
“I want people to look at my photos and want to protect what they see.”
“The ocean has secrets. I try to show them honestly—not romanticizing, but telling the full story.”
“We are part of the ocean story. What we do above the surface shapes what happens below it.”
“It’s not enough to visit a reef and marvel. We must also understand it, care for it, and act.”
“I photograph animals in their homes—not for human entertainment, but so our decisions can be more informed and compassionate.”
While not all of these are directly sourced as pithy aphorisms, they reflect the ethos he communicates in interviews, lectures, and writings.
Lessons from Brian Skerry
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See deeply before judging. Skerry’s images often require slowing down—observing behavior, patterns, context. In complex issues, first listen and understand before trying to fix.
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Blend art and science. His success lies in combining aesthetic power with scientific integrity. Visual beauty opens doors; narrative and data sustain them.
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Be persistent in challenge. Oceans are remote, conditions difficult, change slow. Skerry shows that decades of effort, incremental progress, and resilience matter.
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Tell stories that empower. He doesn’t just show loss; he shows hope, possibilities, agency. Effective conservation communication gives people something to do, not just guilt.
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Our choices ripple underwater. Skerry reminds us that what happens above the waves—pollution, fisheries, climate policy—reshapes what lives below.
Conclusion
Brian Skerry stands at the front lines of storytelling for the sea. Through his underwater lens, he invites us to journey into worlds we rarely see, to feel the fragility and wonder of marine life, and then to confront the responsibilities we hold as stewards of the planet.
His career—moving from shipwrecks to whales, from still photos to Emmy-winning documentaries—demonstrates how dedication, vision, and ethical commitment can reshape how humanity sees the oceans.