Oceanário de Lisboa and National Geographic inaugurate “Sharks” exhibition

One of National Geographic’s most emblematic exhibitions can be seen at the Oceanário de Lisboa until January 6.

“Sharks: On Assignment With Brian Skerry” is an extraordinary journey into the world of sharks that has so far attracted more than 450,000 people in the USA and now reaches Europe for the first time, with the goal of raising public awareness of the danger of extinction of these animals.

This unique exhibition has 50 photographs by Brian Skerry, photographer and photojournalist specialised in marine life and underwater environments, and it promises to provide a new perspective of these predators of the ocean so that visitors can understand the importance of their protection. This is a project that teaches us to appreciate sharks rather than fear them.

With a special passion for sharks, Skerry has over 10,000 hours of diving, having made 14 journeys around the world to photograph the most varied species, including the tiger shark, the great white shark and the blue shark. The passion for these fish came about 30 years ago, after the first encounter of the photographer with a blue shark off the coast of Rhode Island in the USA. Skerry was delighted with the blue skin of the animal, saying that "All my senses were on alert. My heart raced as I drew close, about a metre distant. The shark barely noticed me and disappeared."

Every year about 100 million sharks are caught, either accidentally or to market their fins. These predators are essential to maintaining the balance of the marine ecosystems. These facts encouraged Brian Skerry to photograph different species of sharks for the purpose of raising awareness of and increasing knowledge about these animals.

For Brian Skerry, “I'm really glad to have my exhibition of photographs of sharks in Europe for the first time, at the Oceanário de Lisboa. I hope that visitors leave with a new insight into these magnificent animals that are often misunderstood. Sharks play a vital role in the health of the ocean’s ecosystems. Through photography, I believe we can learn to see them in a new perspective and recognise their value for our planet.”

Luís Fernambuco, General Director of National Geographic Partners in Portugal says that “It is with great pride that we bring to Portugal yet another exhibition with the National Geographic stamp and with photographs that have left the United States for the first time. After Photo Ark, which received 60,000 visitors in Porto, we share a new exhibition of extreme sensitivity and beauty, through 50 photographs by Brian Skerry that will be on display at the Oceanário de Lisboa, and will take visitors to the bottom of the sea and give them a new perspective about sharks.” And he adds “Through these photographs we want to raise their awareness of the threats that these species face and help put an end to the prejudice that exists in respect of these animals."

João Falcato, CEO of the Oceanário de Lisboa, declared: “With this fantastic exhibition, the Oceanário de Lisboa aims to promote knowledge about sharks and reinforce the urgency of preserving marine biodiversity. This exhibition is an excellent representation of the existing threats and we expect, through the photographs, to convey the need to change behaviours, towards ocean conservation.”

This exhibition is sponsored by Audi e-tron, Banco CTT, Conselheiros da Visão, Delta Q and Ageas Seguros.

These photographs have already fascinated all who have had the opportunity to see them in cities such as Washington, Atlanta and Corpus Christi (Texas), and now arrive in Lisbon, where they will be on display unto January 6, 2019.

The «Sharks» exhibition will be put on in the lobby of the Oceanário. To access the exhibition you must buy a ticket to visit the Oceanário de Lisboa.

You can find all the information on the «Sharks» exhibition and the importance of ecosystem associated with sharks at https://www.natgeo.pt/sharks.