Cristina Mittermeier

Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier are two of the world’s most iconic working ocean photographers, and they also happen to be partners in both their personal and professional lives. Nicklen grew up with the Inuit in the Canadian Arctic and worked as a biologist in the Northwest Territories before specializing in photographing the polar regions. Born in Mexico City, Mittermeier started out as a marine biologist and now works as a writer, conservationist, and photographer, immersing herself in diverse cultures and environments worldwide. They are both sought-after thought leaders who are at the forefront of ocean conservation, and together, this remarkable duo aims to raise awareness through their art and non-profit organization, SeaLegacy, which creates strategies and content to move audiences into action through visual storytelling. In this episode, we follow them as they travel by boat to the Bahamas to take on oil drilling and document the recently discovered seagrass beds there. Using their photographs, family archival materials, and behind-the-scenes footage of their expeditions, this episode provides a compelling look at their present-day mission to travel the world’s oceans, risking life and limb to create change and inspire people everywhere.”

Accolades: Mittermeier’s work has been published in hundreds of prominent magazines, including National Geographic, TIME, McLean’s, The Men’s Journal and O. Along with her partner, Paul Nicklen, she was named one of National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year in 2018. In 2021, she was featured in Welcome to Earth on Disney+. Mittermeier is honored with many notable awards, including the Smithsonian Conservation Photographer of the Year, the Humanity Content Creator Award from HIPA and the Imaging Award for Photographers Who Give Back. In 2021, she received the Seattle Aquarium’s Sylvia Earle Medal and Travel + Leisure’s Global Vision Award and was named one of the 100 Latinos Most Committed to Climate Action. Additionally, she is a World Photographic Academy member and the first female photographer to reach 1M followers on Instagram.