After reviewing hundreds of submissions from artists around the world, Cristina Mittermeier— renowned photographer who coined the term “conservation photography”— selected 20 images to be showcased at the Dos Mares Gala: Ocean Symphony, which effectively launched the FOMARES League of Conservation Photographers.

White Pelicans in Guerrero Negro marks the starting point of Céline’s work photographing conservation. In 2022, she joined a team of scientists studying an endangered migratory bird and a pre-season fieldwork trip led them nearly 1,000 kilometers south of Los Angeles to Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur. This region is known for the Whale Sanctuary within El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, which is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site and Ramsar Wetlands Site. In addition to whales, this vast landscape serves as vital habitat for thousands of migratory waterbirds and hosts one of the largest commercial saltworks in the world. This family of five White Pelicans bath in the turbulent waters of Ojo de Liebre Lagoon— a reminder that even in the most remote corners, life thrives in quiet resilience.