Kristian Gillies

Kristian Gillies is an expedition guide, wildlife ecologist and photographer based on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Raised on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia, he grew up closely connected to the ocean, surfing daily and developing an early interest in the life beneath the surface.

That interest led Kristian to study Conservation Biology at the University of Wollongong, where he built a foundation in ecology, field research and environmental science. After graduating in 2016, he moved to California to study blue whales, an experience that deepened his focus on marine mammals and the ecosystems they inhabit.
Kristian later relocated to Vancouver Island, where he worked as a marine biologist and spent much of his time on the water researching and photographing killer whales. After two seasons studying whales, he expanded his work into wildlife ecology with a focus on ornithology, bringing together marine and terrestrial perspectives in his fieldwork and wildlife observation.

Today, Kristian works as a Naturalist and Expedition Guide, traveling to remote regions around the world. His work combines science, storytelling and photography to help travelers better understand the wildlife, landscapes and ecological relationships they encounter. Drawing on experience with marine mammals, birds and conservation biology, he brings a field-based perspective to expeditions across diverse environments. Through both research and photography, he continues to document wildlife and share insights into the species and ecosystems that shape the places he visits.