Alexandra Helen Vasquez

Alexandra's connection to the ocean began while growing up on Pleasure Island, North Carolina. As a teenager, she volunteered at the North Carolina Aquarium, where caring for loggerhead sea turtles became a favorite responsibility. She also developed an early interest in conservation, helping launch her high school's first campus-wide recycling program while serving as president of the environmental club.

Alexandra holds a master's degree in environmental science and management from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she specialized in marine resource economics. During her studies, she worked with National Geographic Pristine Seas on efforts that contributed to the creation of a 44,000-square-kilometer marine sanctuary in the Galápagos. Her work in sustainable fisheries and conservation innovation has been supported by the Latin American Fisheries Fellowship and Ratcliffe Eco-Entrepreneurship Fellowship programs.
A surfer, angler and diver, Alexandra has also volunteered with Diveheart, a nonprofit organization that uses scuba diving to help build confidence and independence for people with disabilities.

After studying abroad in San Cristóbal in 2011, Alexandra relocated to the Galápagos, where she worked as a contributing scientist at the Charles Darwin Research Station. Today, she combines expedition guiding with entrepreneurship, focusing on practical solutions for marine conservation. She currently helps lead an early-stage startup that recovers plastic from the Galápagos Marine Reserve and transforms it into recreational ocean equipment. Her career reflects a continuing interest in bringing together science, innovation and conservation to support the long-term health of marine ecosystems.