Jose Miguel Valdivieso

Jose Miguel was born and raised on the island of Santa Cruz in the Galápagos Archipelago.  His early schooling was done in Puerto Ayora, but his family moved to Quito for his high school years.  In the bustling Andean metropolis of Quito, Ecuador’s capital, he developed an interest in social dynamics and anthropology.  He later went on to study business communication and public relations at San Francisco University, where he specialized in social responsibility.

Jose Miguel is passionate about art, nature and culture and is particularly interested in connecting these subjects within different levels of society to create what he terms an “Eco-Friendly Socially-Responsible Civilization”.  When he is not guiding, he helps local foundations at different levels.

Jose enjoys philosophy and likes to research and think about and understand his surroundings, which he can then share with others.  His love for nature, however, eventually drew him back to the Galápagos, where he took the national park guide course in 2008 on Isabela Island.  He has since worked as a freelance naturalist on a variety of ships, learning even more about the unique natural history of these enchanted islands and their inhabitants, both above and below the waves.  He is thrilled to have recently started working with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic.