Naturalist icon Naturalist

Andres Vergara

Andrés was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador. From a very young age, he spent his vacations in Playas on the coast of Ecuador where his grandparents ran a hotel. There he developed a keen interest for nature and the outdoors. He studied primary and secondary school in La Condamine, a French Institution in Quito.

Following his love for the sea, Andrés journeyed to Brazil to get his training as a merchant marine officer. After traveling the world on board cargo ships for a couple of years, he was invited to become a captain on charter yachts in the Galapagos Islands. At that time, he was the youngest captain in the islands, and earned the nickname “Capitán Niño” (the Boy Captain). Since 1993 he has worked on all kinds of ships from sailing boats to scuba diving boats.

In 2005, Andrés decided to see the islands through a different perspective and took the Galapagos National Park course to become a licensed naturalist guide. He enjoys sharing his love for nature and water sports with guests from all over the world. Andrés is a waterman, diving and surfing since he was 10 years old. He believes that the only way to protect the Galapagos is through education. He is fluent in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. He lives with his wife and two children in Puerto Ayora, Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands.