Ecoventura has carefully selected only the most knowledgeable, professional and friendly Captains, guides and crews in the region. Our naturalists are professionals who speak English fluently and will will provide you with all the information you want to know about the wonders you will see while on your Galapagos cruise. Rest assured you are in good hands. All our Captains are high level tonnage Captains with years of experience on vessels in the Navy or Merchant Marine. They are also all very well versed in passenger safety, ISM procedures and first aid. Several crew members have been working with Ecoventura since day one. They work together as a cohesive team and will go out of their way to ensure our guests have a memorable exerience during their time on board.
Captains

Peter Vallejo
Captain - Eric & Letty
Captain Peter is a First Officer in the Ecuadorian Navy. He enjoys inviting passengers to his table for dinner and telling stories of the high seas while in the Navy. He lives in the Galapagos with his family including three children. His joy of being a father shows, especially on our family departures with the dedication and attention given to the children on board.

Pablo Salas
Captain - MV Origin
Captain Pablo was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador. In 1990, he was granted scholarship by the Brazilian Merchant Maritime Academy. Since his graduation in 1994 he has been working in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, Merchant Commercial vessels as a First Officer in worldwide navigation and foreign private Yachts. Pablo worked as a Ranger of the Galapagos National Park in 2004 in charge of the control and surveillance of the Marine Reserve fighting against the illegal fishing activity. He took several and advanced STCW courses in Brazil, Ecuador, Sweden and USA. Pablo likes sports, and is very active in diving, football, running and swimming. He is an excellent team player and enjoys working with the crew on board the Letty.

Homero Gonzalez
Captain - MV Origin
Captain Homero was both in Cayambe and now lives in Quito. He is a Third Officer when he finished his studies with the Merchant Marine School in 2011. Since, he has worked on tankers, general cargo and passenger ships. He enjoys playing soccer, swimming and kayaking. Most of all, he likes spending time with the passengers and his crew on board.

Gerardo Duran
Captain - MV Origin
Gerardo Durán – Captain MV Origin
Captain Gerardo was born in Machala and raised in Guayaquil. He joined the Merchant Marine School in 1980 and finished his studies in 1985. Since his graduation he has worked at the Galapagos Marine Reserve and on board cargo ships around the world. He also worked at Ecoventura for 12 years before joining the Silversea fleet as Maritime Superintendant for the past 3.5 years.
Gerardo likes swimming, scuba diving and free diving. He is an Instructor at the Merchant Marine School and he is finishing his second degree as a lawyer.

Marlon Perez
Captain - Eric
Marlon is from Ambato in the central Andes. He has been working on ships since 2002 on tankers and container ships as a Second Officer sailing between Ecuador and the US going through the Panama Canal. Before working with Ecoventura, he was the Captain on larger vessels in Galapagos. “I am delighted to work with excellent sailors aboard the Flamingo and enjoy our guests who show a real love for nature.”
Guides

Cecibel Guerrero
Naturalist Guide level 3 - licensed 1992
Ecuadorian born, “Ceci” spent 15 years living in Toronto Canada. It is here where she obtained her bachelor in Business Administration. After attending a training given by the Galapagos National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Research Station, she obtained her license as a Level III Naturalist Guide, and guided until 2001. After having two children, Ceci came back in 2008 to Galápagos, to work in the place she loves the most. It is here where she enjoys her favorite activity while guiding; snorkeling. No doubt she also has a special interest in reptiles and a real enthusiasm for sharing this special place with our guests. “If you love wildlife, people and photography, this is the ideal job for you, I feel blessed and honored to work in one of the most pristine places on earth.”

Yvonne Mortola
Naturalist Guide level 3 - licensed in 1984
Born in the USA, she grew up in Guayaquil, where she graduated from the German Humboldt School. After returning from Germany, finishing her studies of Language Translation in German, French and Spanish, she moved to Galapagos in 1984, where she became a Naturalist III Guide . She has worked almost uninterrupted since then, becoming a true “naturalist”, compromised with the islands, her work not only recognized by the Charles Darwin Foundation but also by the Galapagos National Park. During all these years of experience she has made several GNP actualization courses, ISO 9000, 14000 seminars, different areas of client service courses, as well as assisted Dr. David Anderson (Wake Forest University) in scientific investigation project, working with Nazca Boobies and Albatrosses. She founded the Swimming Club Syrius and the Sailing Club Aeolian, promoting sport in children of the community. She is a member of Scalesia Education Foundation. She also helps in the organization of the Galapagos Triathlon and the Galapagos Challenge.

Jose Benavides
Naturalist Guide - licensed in 2007
Jose is a 5th generation decendent from the island of San Cristobal. He studied in Guayaquil at the ESPOL University and graduated in 2006 with a degree in Tourism Management. Other than spending quality time with his lovely wife and handsome son, his favorite activities include soccer, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing and tennis. Jose enjoys guiding as a freelance and sharing his knowledge and all the wonders of his birthplace with visitors from around the world.

Ivan Lopez
Naturalist Guide - licensed 2005
Ivan studied Environmental Management and Tourism at the University of Babahoyo and also took a Seminar of Photography techniques. He enjoys swimming, diving, snorkeling and kayaking. Ivan is an accomplished diver with certification as an SSI Scuba Instructor and Master Scuba Trainer and also emergency first Responder Instructor. He is also an accomplished musician and entertains guests with his original songs.

Jose Luis “Pepe” Castillo
Naturalist Guide - licensed in 1997
Pepe completed his courses with the PNH including interpretation Techniques and Footpath Analysis of PNG. He was born in Loja, Ecuador and grew up in San Cristobal Island where he fell in love with nature and decided to protect this unique place becoming a Naturalist Guide. At the age of 18, Pepe studied at the University of Guayaquil and got his degree in Hotel Management. He took English courses at the SECAP institute. Pepe is studying computer science and Italian language now. In 1995 He became a member of FEDEGAL which is a foundation that helps with the conservation of Galapagos Islands. Pepe used to work as a free lancer for many different ships and he became part of our team in 2002. Pepe is a very popular guide and likes to tell passengers stories about the enchanted Galapagos Islands. Preferred topics for discussion include: geology (islands, volcanoes and rocks), astronomy and giant tortoises. When he is not guiding, he enjoys chess, playing the guitar and swimming with sharks.

Magdalena “Malena” Cruz
Naturalist Guide - licensed in 1994
Magdalena studied Tourism Professional Guide at the Universidad Internacional del Ecuador and also took courses on Interpretation Techniques in the PNG. Her favorite Galapagos topics of conversation include: sea currents, geology and the marine reserve. When Malena is not guiding, she manages her family’s hotel on the Island of San Cristobal. She also enjoys reading, music and fishing.

Freddy Vargas
Naturalist Guide - licensed in 1984
Freddy calls the Galapagos his home where he grew up through high school. He attended college in Quito and then got a job working for the Charles Darwin Research Center, working with the scientists from around the world. Here is where he developed a keen interest for wildlife, which motivated him to take the Naturalist Guide Course given by the Galapagos National Park in 1984. Since that time, he has been guiding visitors in the Galapagos. He enjoys water activities such as surfing, snorkeling and fishing, and spends time riding horses and donkeys on a family farm in the highlands of Santa Cruz when on vacation. Currently, Freddy lives in Guayaquil with his family where his children, now in college, have better educational opportunity. When they are finished with school, he plans to return to the Galapagos Islands.

Gustavo Andrade
Naturalist Guide - licensed in 2005
Part of the third generation of a local family from San Cristóbal, Gustavo was raised in Guayaquil but has always maintained close links to the Galapagos. His father worked as a tour boat captain, and Gustavo considers himself blessed to have been exposed to nature from the age of seven. An industrial engineer by training, Gustavo has been a naturalist guide for the Galapagos National Park since 2005 – one of the very best experiences of his life

Billy Maquilon
Naturalist Guide - Level III since 1989
Billy is a passionate and experienced naturalist who was licensed by the park in 1989 after finishing his degree at the Universidad Central Del Ecuador where he studied Chemistry and Biology. He also studied Environmental Sciences at the Universidad de Guayaquil. His unlimited passion for Galapagos is demonstrated by his mutiple interests including certification as a TDI Scuba DiveMaster. Billy traveled for two years in Europe and two years in the US which gave him a broad range of skills to effectively lead groups of the species known as humans. His travels, coupled with over two decades of guiding make him a true expert in the field.

Maria "Gaby" Espinoza
Naturalist Guide - Level III - 1990
Gaby has two degrees from the University Estatal Guayaquil with a BS in Science Education and a Teaching degree with an emphasis in Chemistry and Biology. Her love for nature motivated her to become a naturalist guide in 1990 and she has been committed to the conservation of the islands ever since. She was able to further her career with courses in tourism management, literature and human relations. Gaby received a scholarship from the University of Northern Iowa and is fluent in English- and also German. She is a natural born teacher and naturalist guide and she enjoys the opportunity to show the Galapagos to our guests and inspire them to help to conserve our world. That is her passion!

Karina Lopez
Naturalist & Dive Master Guide in the Marine Reserve and National Park of the Galapagos.
Karina Lopez was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism and Hospitality, a second technical degree as a Professional Guide of Ecuador, and a third diploma in French language at the Alliance Francaise.
She moved to San Cristobal Island after high school and made this small town and beautiful island her home. Her deep passion for nature, bird-watching, and marine life led her to become a certified national park naturalist in the late 90´s, and since then she has guided in the Galapagos Islands and also led trips in the Amazon Rain Forest and throughout the Sacred Valley in Peru.
Equal to her passion for guiding on land is her love for guiding underwater, and in 2001 she became certified as a dive master naturalist for the Marine Reserve of Galapagos.
She loves to help her guests have the magical experience of swimming with sea turtles, frolicking with playful sea lions, and searching for the elusive but adorable Galapagos penguins.
When not leading groups in her beloved islands, she can be found exploring her other passions of international travel, photography, creative writing, cooking traditional Ecuadorian cuisine, and playing soccer.

Gustavo Castro
Naturalist Guide - licensed in 1996
Crew
Crew – MV Origin
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Jennifer JuradoConciergeSince 2006 Jennifer has worked in different ships of the Enchanted Islands. With her Bachelor degree in Hospitality and her great experience, she has become an indispensable asset on board the MV Origin. |
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María del CarmenConciergeMaría del Carmen Peralta is a true asset to have on board the ORIGIN. Prior to joining Ecoventura, María was the Coordinator of Events and Banquets at the prestigious Hilton Colon Guayaquil hotel in Ecuador. She received her Masters in Business Administration from the Universidad Tecnológica Empresarial de Guayaquil and is fluent in Spanish, English, and French. Within the Hospitality and Tourism industries, María’s is passionate about building her skills and expertise in Cruise Management – Having her on the ORIGIN is the perfect fit and we are honored to have her on our team! |
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Waiter | Chief Engineer | Electrician | Bartender | Second mate | Chef |
Richard de la Cruz | Alvaro Mucarsel | Pablo Clavijo | Jairo Rengifo | Edison Triviño | Estuardo Vilela |
Crew – MY ERIC
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Waiter/Bartender | Motorman | Helsman | Sailor |
Robert Villegas | Aurelio Perez | Javier Cordova | Eduardo Calderón |