Andres Vergara was born and raised in Ecuador's capital of Quito. His grandparents, however, lived off the coast of Ecuador where Andres' love of nature and wildlife was nurtured. Andres observed various interesting species near his grandparents' home, including the neotropical cormorant, a flightless cormorant similar to those that are endemic to the Galapagos Islands. Infused with a passion for the sea, when Andres came of age he moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he studied to become a ship captain, ultimately spending a few years sailing the world as deck officer on board merchant ships. Later, he landed in the Galapagos where he became one of the youngest captains in the islands, piloting a variety of large yachts for many years. His favorite part of his job, however, was sharing the amazing wildlife and natural history of the Galapagos with his guests. In 2005, he says he discovered his "true vocation" when he became a naturalist guide for Galapagos National Park, a profession he has been avidly practicing since. 

Andres describes himself as a "family man," and says his whole family is involved with conservation and defense of the Galapagos lifestyle, devoted to protecting nature and supporting a healthy environment for the local community and its wild residents. His wife is a marine biologist involved in full-time Galapagos conservation work with Galapagos National Park and WWF. The new and exciting discoveries that each and every adventure in the islands holds is what Andres loves most about his job. "Being able to show the wonders of the Galapagos is a privilege and a duty for us as naturalist guides who love this place," says Andres, "and the best way to do this is to share the islands with our select groups of Natural Habitat travelers."

Upcoming Adventures with Andres:
Galapagos Discovery: The Nat Hab Experience
Galapagos Hiking & Kayaking Adventure

Praise from Nat Hab travelers: 

G. Adams 
"Andres is a wonderful guide and is so passionate about the Galapagos. We ran into other groups and saw how their guides worked with their people. They don't come close to comparing to Andres. He was just top notch and great!"

P. Clark
"Andres is for sure the best guide I have ever experienced. On a scale from 1 to 10, his knowledge of the Galapagos was a 15."

B. Hutchinson
"Andres was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and organized. He made this a trip I will always remember as one of the best experiences I have had while traveling. I would take another tour with Andres anytime."

E. Hildner
"Andres is always optimistic, energetic, voluble and personable. He has excellent English and there was never a question to which he did not know the answer."

A. Frager
"I can't say enough about the quality of service and care Andres brought to our Galapagos experience. He was highly knowledgeable about the wildlife, the environment and the history, along with showing every day how much he cared about showing us a great time."

S. Griffin
"Words can not express how wonderful Andres and Giancarlo were. Their enthusiasm, knowledge and their genuine love for their country, which they shared with all of us, made as much of an impression on me as the Galapagos itself did."

N. Spannaus
"Andres is exceptional. I was totally impressed. I can't say enough about him as an Expedition Leader. He is very passionate about the Galapagos and it comes through in his behavior, attitude, and all of his interactions with trip participants. He has comprehensive knowledge of all things Galapagos, and his interpersonal skills are well honed. He has a great sense of humor."

C. Gade
"Andres is committed to sharing the beauty and historical truth of the Galapagos. I found Andres’ teachings very well delivered, relevant and important to our trip. Andres kept us safe while giving flexibility that allowed kids and adults to thoughtfully explore the environment. Andres managed to be 100% kind and attentive every day of the trip. He engaged the group of children skillfully and was unwaveringly consistent."