Brian Skerry has one of those jobs you may have dreamed of when you were a kid. And indeed, he dreamed of it as a kid in Massachusetts, where he yearned to explore the oceans. Then he learned he could explore the oceans as a photo journalist. In his interview on WORT’s Monday Buzz, Skerry explains how he became a marine specialist and underwater photojournalist for National Geographic.

In his many assignments alongside oceans scientists of many different specializations, Skerry learned to “see the three dimensionality” of the ocean ecosystem. In his presentation at Madison’s Overture Center, Inside Secrets of the Whales, Skerry will talk about his experiences photographing orcas, right whales, and other species around the world.

On WORT, Skerry describes to Buzz host Brian Standing how he learned that whales have culture, dialects, learn from each other and learn from older generations of whales. In his career, Skerry sees his mission as “helping people to see the planet through a new lens, through a lens of culture with another species.”

Skerry is an eleven-time Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and has won awards from the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences.  His latest multimedia work, “The Secrets of the Whales,” includes a National Geographic magazine cover story, a book and a four-part documentary series streaming now on Disney plus.  On April 23, Skerry will speak as part of the Overture Center’s Changemaker series.

All photos courtesy of Brian Skerry

Web production by Nicholas Wootton

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