• Photo Ark
    December 17, 2016–April 30, 2017
  • Photo Ark
    December 17, 2016–April 30, 2017
  • Photo Ark
    December 17, 2016–April 30, 2017

One man. 6,000 species. One critical mission.

Photo Ark is a multiyear National Geographic project with a simple goal—to create portraits of the world’s species before they disappear and to inspire people to care. Each image is a visual connection between the animals and people who can help protect them.

With ingenuity and wit, National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore has captured portraits of more than 6,000 creatures to date, with a goal of creating these important records of existence for an estimated 12,000 species in captivity. 

This exhibition features approximately 30 of the photographer’s iconic images and allows visitors to follow Sartore around the world on this exciting and important project.

The San Diego Natural History Museum is the first venue in the world outside of the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C., to present the exhibition. 

Photo Ark is organized and traveled by the National Geographic Society. To learn more about the National Geographic Photo Ark visit NatGeoPhotoArk.org

About the Photographer

Joel Sartore is a photographer, speaker, author, teacher, conservationist, 24-year contributor to National Geographic magazine, as well as a National Geographic Fellow. He has traveled to every continent and specializes in documenting endangered species and landscapes. Simply put, he is on a mission to document endangered species in order to show a world worth saving. “Every year I see more habitat loss, more species consumed for food, medicine or simply decoration,” says Sartore. “The Photo Ark was born out of desperation to halt, or at least slow, the loss of global biodiversity.”



Buy tickets Become a member