Daniela Iglesias

Daniela was born on the coast of Ecuador, in a small beach town aptly named Playas. Her parents moved to Galápagos in the early 1980s to both pursue careers as Galápagos naturalist guides, which allowed Daniela and her two brothers to grow up in this magical archipelago. 

Her childhood was spent between the islands of Santa Cruz and Isabela, where she has fond memories of playing with her friends on beaches and among mangroves, going on fishing trips with her dad in their small panga, learning to snorkel and swim about the same time as learning to walk, and even discovering scuba diving at age eight! Her parents and her unique childhood instilled in Daniela a passion for nature and the islands.

Upon finishing high school, Daniela moved to the coastal Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil, to immerse herself in another of her passions—cooking. She studied to become a chef, before moving back to the islands to take the naturalist guide course given by the Galápagos National Park Service in 2008.

Daniela worked as a guide on a variety of vessels in the archipelago for a few years, before taking a break to raise her now five-year-old son with her husband, a local scuba diving instructor who also works in tourism. During that break she continued to work doing day tours around the neighboring islands. 

There is nothing she likes more (except snorkeling with sea lions!) than exploring the islands with visitors, and teaching them about the wonders of her home.