Kristian Gillies is a Marine Biologist and photographer based on Vancouver Island. Growing up on the beach on the east coast of Australia, Kristian was constantly immersed in the marine environment, either surfing, free diving, or exploring the coastline at his door step.
From a young age, Kristian had a strong interest in the animals inhabiting the environments around his house and in the ocean, which led him to study Conservation Biology at the University of Wollongong. After completing his studies, Kristian moved to Southern California where he completed an internship researching the largest animal to ever live - the blue whale. This is when he first picked up a camera and began his journey as a photographer.
In California, Kristian also developed a passion for marine mammal conservation, which led him to move to Vancouver Island and work as a Marine Biologist for Cetus Research and Conservation Society. Throughout his time at Cetus, Kristian supported a variety of projects including work protecting the critically endangered southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea, collaborating with DFO personnel to disentangle humpback whales in Desolation Sound, and monitoring northern resident killer whales in the Broughton Archipelago.
Kristian now works as as Ecological Consultant on terrestrial and aquatic projects throughout British Columbia where he is able to take his camera along and capture the animals and landscapes that make up his office. Kristian aspires to use his photography to expose the beauty of the natural world with the hope that it will inspire protection and conservation so that it can be enjoyed by generations to come.
