Kristina was born and raised in the foothills of Northern California and spent her early life there exploring the nearby coastlines and mountain ranges which is where she developed her love of wild spaces.

A huge importance in her life is travel. When she traveled solo around the world for a year, visiting 26 countries, she visited and enjoyed time in lively cities, but seeking out quiet natural spaces that she had only seen on screen and in magazines really got her soul to sing. She has visited and spent quality time in over 40 countries and all 7 continents. She had deemed herself and International Cat Petter and the only place she has been where no cats were available to pet was Antarctica. She and her partner, Sterling take every opportunity to explore new sights together and Sterling is always so patient when Kristina finds random cats that must be pet.

Her love of animals and the need to help people understand them in their environment is what made her shift gears after graduating with a B.A. in Animal Behavior with efforts of becoming a marine mammal trainer. She instead, relocated to Maui, Hawai’i and became a scuba diving instructor then earned her 100-ton boat captain’s license which is where she feels more in her element. In the last nine years she has taken countless guests snorkeling, diving and whale watching off Lahaina, in sailing catamarans and RHIBs while showing them beautiful reefs and some of the world’s most charismatic humpback whales. Some of these whales come to feed in the waters off Juneau’s coastlines.

Earning her Captain’s Ticket and scuba instructor status opened a whole new world of opportunities influencing others and exposing them to the wonders of this great planet. Being as comfortable and knowledgeable underwater as Kristina is, has also earned her place in being the safety diver and whale behavior interpreter for BBC, Disney and National Geographic documentary film makers when filming Maui’s humpback whales. She has spent so much time with West Maui’s humpback whales that she has gotten hundreds of identification fluke photos for Happy Whale. Some of her fluke photos and data have even been used for several wildlife and fisheries management and environmental research publications.

She began working on expedition cruise ships in Southeast Alaska in the summer of 2022, driving zodiacs, interpreting wildlife, ecology, geology, and history. She traveled to several other parts of the state, looking for adventure and Alaska, like it does for so many, stole her heart. She has worked and explored Alaska as an expedition cruise ship guide since then and is so excited to be back, taking guests into the wild, to be in awe by southeast Alaska’s wild beauty and bounty.

In recent years, she has been building her skills and portfolio in wildlife photography. This is a huge passion to Kristina, and she is very proud of her imagery. Recently published in a Hawaiian magazine, she is looking forward to further exploring this endeavor. She has been an expedition ship photographer along with being an expedition guide helping guests capture epic wild moments. Kristina always has her camera ready and is more than happy to help you achieve your best photographic dreams.