Guides, Captains & Crew

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.

Sofía Darquea

Naturalist Guide Level 3

Sofia was born and raised in Quito, but left for Spain to attend school and later, the University in Madrid. After graduating in Tourism and Hotel Management, and then spending a couple of years in France, she returned to Ecuador and, in 1987, trained with the Charles Darwin Research Station and Galapagos National Park to become a licensed Naturalist guide.
In 2000, she left Galapagos to raise her son, but continued to work for several years, as a Tour Leader in the Amazon Rainforest and the Galapagos. Over those years she was co-founder and director of Fundacion Accion Amazonia, a non-profit, private organization created to support the local indigenous communities of the Amazon rainforest. She was also a member of the board of directors of the Ecuadorian Ecotourism Association and helped to develop several ecotourism based projects on the mainland.
Nowadays Sofia lives in Santa Cruz Island, she is the president of the Galapagos Naturalist Guide’s Association (AGIPA), and works as a free-lance naturalist guide for the most relevant tour companies in Galapagos, as well as for private yachts and mega-yachts.
Being fluent in English and French as well as Spanish, Sofia has hosted and educated visitors from all over the world and continue her efforts to guarantee the conservation and protection of this unique archipelago.

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