Cristina Goettsch Mittermeier, "Mitty", was born in Mexico City in 1966 and grew up in nearby Cuernavaca, in the sunny state of Morelos. Hailed as one of the most influential conservation photographers of our time, she has dedicated her entire life to protecting the World's oceans - inspiring millions of people to do the same.

She graduated from the ITESM University in Mexico with a degree in Biochemical Engineering in Marine Sciences.

She later attended the Fine Art Photography program at the Corcoran College for the Arts in Washington, D.C. In 2005 Mittermeier founded the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) to provide a platform for photographers working on environmental issues and coined the phrase "conservation photography".

In 2014 she co-founded SeaLegacy, a non-profit organization using strategic communications at the intersection of art, science, and conservation to protect and rewild the ocean for the benefit of biodiversity, humanity, and climate within our lifetimes.

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+.