Brian Skerry: Revealing the 'Secrets of the Whales'

Brian Skerry has spent more than two decades photographing the world’s ocean. A longtime diver and contributor to National Geographic magazine, he estimates that he’s spent more than 10,000 hours underwater.

Skerry got his start as a photographer while working on a diving charter boat in Rhode Island, taking photographs of marine life and shipwrecks. His first assignment for National Geographic came in 1998, and since then he has published and contributed to more than two dozen stories for the magazine. 

His accomplishments since are numerous: in addition to his National Geographic assignments, including photographing Barack Obama snorkeling in the Pacific, Skerry has exhibited his work at the Smithsonian and internationally, lectured in venues around the globe, and received dozens of awards.

However, his most recent project may be his most ambitious yet. Secrets of the Whales, a four-part series showcasing Skerry’s work and knowledge, took three years to film in 24 locations around the world.

Produced by fellow Explorer and filmmaker James Cameron and narrated by Sigourney Weaver, the series spotlights five whale species from around the globe: orcas, humpbacks, belugas, narwhals, and sperm whales.

Secrets of the Whales is now streaming on Disney+.