As a young boy, I was very interested - as I still am - in all sorts of adventure and exploration. I thought about being an astronaut, a dinosaur scientist, or marine biologist, but I clearly was drawn to the ocean and to the water. Brian Skerry adventureastronautbiologist share on social
I flipped through a book on harp seals in the late 1970s and saw images of them swimming in emerald green pools of water surrounded by huge sheets of ice. Right then I was hooked, and I knew this was a story I wanted to do. Brian Skerry 1970sbookemerald share on social
I swam with my first shark in the 1980s. I was 20 miles off the coast of Rhode Island, working with a group of marine scientists. Late in the day, a 5-foot long blue shark swam into our chum slick. For the next hour, I marveled at the animal's stunning indigo color and the elegant way she moved effortlessly through the sea. Brian Skerry animalbluechum share on social
For where Kingman is located, the coral cover is unique in the world. I refer to it as a universe of hard corals. You are not going to find soft corals like in the western Pacific - places like Indonesia, Palau, or Fiji. Brian Skerry coralcoverfiji share on social
The bohar snapper - they have these huge canines. I got bit by one. One took a chunk out of my ear - they are much scarier than the sharks. Brian Skerry biteboharcanine Change image and share on social
New England waters are some of my favorite - they are some of the richest waters because they are temperate waters and nutrient-rich, and therefore provide food for so many animals, from giant whales to sharks to everything else. Brian Skerry animalenglandfavorite share on social
I love storytelling, I love being a visual person, and it just made perfect sense to be an underwater photographer and explore the ocean and work with scientists. Brian Skerry explorelovemake Change image and share on social
Photography can be a powerful instrument for change, and photojournalists can tell stories that make a difference. Brian Skerry changedifferenceinstrument Change image and share on social
I finally became a scuba diver at age 15 or so, and a couple of years after that, I attended a dive show that is held every year in Boston. It's the oldest one in the world and it's still going on - it's called the Sea Rovers. Brian Skerry ageattendboston share on social
All in all, the dives I made in Fiordland were some of the best I've ever made. Brian Skerry divefiordlandhave Change image and share on social