UPDATED COVID-19 ATTENDANCE POLICY

All ticket holders, regardless of age, are required to show proof of full COVID vaccination or a negative test result (within 72 hours) from a healthcare provider for entry into the theatre. “Fully vaccinated” means that ticket holders have received their final vaccination dose of either the two-dose regimen of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of Johnson & Johnson at least 14 days before your performance date. Be sure to have your ID with you as well.

Also, in accordance with state and local guidelines, face masks are required for entry. Masks must completely cover nose and mouth. Gaiters and bandanas are not acceptable. If wearing a face mask that does not comply with Metro policy, Portland’5 will provide a face mask for patrons. Masks must be worn at all times except while eating or drinking for brief periods. Prolonged periods of mask removal are not permitted for eating or drinking – masks must be worn between bites and sips.

This policy is subject to change. For more information, please visit our COVID-19 Update page.

Brian Skerry, Underwater Photographer

Celebrated National Geographic Explorer and photographer Brian Skerry has spent nearly four decades exploring and documenting the world’s oceans. For his latest project, he turns his lens to one of the world’s most beloved animals to illuminate groundbreaking new insights into their lives and culture. Skerry spent more than two years in 24 locations around the world capturing remarkable images and video for a landmark National Geographic book, magazine story, and television series, Secrets of the Whales.

Hear his behind-the-scenes stories straight from the field and get an inside look at the groundbreaking science of whale culture—and its startlingly human parallels—across four different species. Discover the hunting techniques and international cuisines of orca pods and the multi-generational childcare systems and female-led families of sperm whales. Explore the culture of singing competitions among humpback whales and meet charming beluga whales in Canada that journey each summer to their “vacation resort.” Through Skerry’s mesmerizing work, uncover what these majestic creatures can teach us about ourselves and our planet.

This talk is part of the National Geographic Live 2021/22 Portland Speaker Series.

National Geographic Live North American Presenting Sponsor: Office Depot

About Brian Skerry

Brian-Skerry-CR-Steve-De-Neef-200x200.jpg

Brian Skerry is a photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife and underwater environments. Since 1998, he has been a contributing photographer for National Geographic Magazine, covering a wide range of subjects and stories. He was named a National Geographic Society Photography Fellow in 2014 and a National Geographic Society Storytelling Fellow in 2017. In 2017, he was also awarded the title of Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year.

For National Geographic Magazine, Brian has covered a wide range of stories, from the harp seal’s struggle to survive in frozen waters to the alarming decrease in the world’s fisheries to dolphin intelligence—all cover stories. A fourth cover story in February 2017 focused on protecting special underwater ecosystems in U.S. waters, and during this coverage Brian produced the first images of a sitting U.S. President underwater.

Brian has also worked on assignment for or had images featured in magazines such as Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Paris Match, Esquire, and Audubon. Brian is the author of 12 books, including the acclaimed monographs Ocean Soul, SHARK, and the newly released Secrets of the Whales.

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, 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 in 2016, he was awarded the National Geographic Photographer’s Photographer Award, an honor bestowed by his colleagues, other National Geographic photographers. The Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences awarded Brian the 2019 NOGI Award for Arts, an award frequently referred to as the ‘Underwater Oscar.’

He has had numerous solo photographer exhibits, including Portraits of Planet Ocean, a two-year exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Other exhibits of his work have been held in cities worldwide, including Geneva, Barcelona, Lisbon, Shanghai, and Perpignan, France.

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.

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 is also a Nikon Ambassador and a Marine Fellow with Conservation International and serves on the World Wildlife Fund’s National Council and Marine Leadership Council.