Oceans Away

For most of us, we see the ocean as a surface—a vast, moody expanse, below which is an abyss whose depths defy imagining. It is the definition of unfathomable. There are some, though, who are drawn to that mystery, who cannot go long without going under, and who show us, the landlubbers, what it is we’re missing.

Cristina Mittermeier began her career as a scientist, but has since turned her focus to photography, activism, and awareness. She’s a National Geographic explorer who has distinguished herself with her incredible, otherworldly shots, and her conservation efforts, including the founding of her own nonprofit, SeaLegacy. We spoke with her about her career and what’s on the horizon for our oceans.

HOW DID YOU MOVE FROM BECOMING A MARINE BIOLOGIST TO A PHOTOGRAPHER?

I grew up in Mexico, and as a young, dreamy person, I was enamored with the sea. So, I went to study Marine Biology. At the time, however, there were no such schools in Mexico, so instead I got a degree as a Biochemical Engineer in Marine Sciences with a specialty in fisheries and aquaculture.

My first job after university, however, was not in fisheries, but in conservation. The almost 30 years since I graduated have taken me on a journey of understanding how abused our oceans are and how serious this is for the survival of our planet as a whole. I have also come to understand that science, although very important, does not create an emotional connection. I stumbled into photography as a great tool to communicate as an accident. I never meant to become a photographer, but when I realized how easily images can convey complex ideas and stories, I was hooked.

WHY DO YOU THINK DOCUMENTING NATURE IS IMPORTANT FOR CONSERVATION?

Susan Sontag once wrote that "war tears, rends. War rips open, eviscerates. War scorches. War dismembers. War ruins. Not to be pained by photographs of war, not to recoil from them, not to strive to abolish what causes this havoc, this carnage, is a failure of imagination, of empathy." Photographs are the only reason people in far-off places care about the horrors of war. The war on nature is no different. The reason we document nature is to put it at the forefront of people’s minds. When my half a million followers check their social media in the morning, they will find an uplifting, engaging, interesting, or simply beautiful story about nature. Many of them would otherwise perhaps not give nature a second thought during their day. People care about what they know and understand.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR CONSERVATIONISTS AND CONSERVATION PHOTOGRAPHERS IN THE YEARS AHEAD?

The lack of political will and funding for conservation, coupled with a general public apathy. Our job is to make people care—to snap them out of their apathy so that they can join our voices in speaking loudly for the kind of planet that we want.

Our job is to make people care–to snap them out of their apathy so that they can join our voices in speaking loudly for the kind of planet that we want.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT GOES INTO GET- TING A STRIKING UNDERWATER SHOT?

A lot of failure. Underwater photography is challenging because on top of having to find engaging subjects, think about light, mood and composition, one often has to also think about staying alive. Some of the most interesting photo opportunities happen in open seas, often rough, cold, and remote. Being an accomplished swimmer and diver is the most important skill of the underwater photographer.

WHAT MOTIVATED THE FOUND- ING OF SEALEGACY? WHAT ARE YOUR FOREMOST PROJECTS?

I am lucky because as a National Geographic Photographer I have had a front row seat into the most magnificent spectacle on our planet: our world’s oceans. From that privileged position I have witnessed, over many years, the devastating effects we have had on fish stocks, marine mammal populations and the overall health of marine ecosystems. I felt a responsibility to do something with my camera to focus the world’s attention on the health of our oceans.

Every second breath a human takes comes from the sea.

WHAT CONTINUES TO DRAW YOU TO THE OCEAN, AND WHY DO WE NEED TO PROTECT IT? WHAT IS THE BEST THING WE CAN DO, ON A PERSONAL, NATIONAL, OR INTERNATIONAL SCALE?

We need to protect the ocean because without a healthy ocean, humans cannot live on this planet. Every second breath a human takes comes from the sea; the ocean moderates our climate, drives the weather patterns and provides billions of people with food and jobs. As a people, we can speak loudly on our social media, our circles of influence, the voting booth, about our desire for a healthy ocean. We can educate ourselves to make better choices in the seafood we buy and we can strive, every day, to lessen our carbon footprint. The easiest way to do that is by slowing down on our meat consumption. We don’t all have to be vegetarians, but every piece of meat we put in our mouths carries with it the future of our planet, so less is more.

WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON FOR YOU?

I am going to spend the next 20 years working as hard as I can to remind my followers every day of the power we have to create a better planet. I will be focusing my camera on coastal communities around the world. They are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and I want to be there to help and to document that story.

PHOTOS BY Cristina Mittermeier

INTERVIEW BY Zoë Balaconis