Cristian Villaroel

Cristian was born and raised on Santa Cruz Island, at the heart of the Galapagos Archipelago. He had the privilege of enjoying the beauty of the natural world of Galapagos every weekend, sailing in his family's small fishing boat. His parents passed on their love for nature to him. They imparted how lucky they were to live in such a unique place in the world.

His passion for conservation started as a teenager, on his very first time going around the uninhabited islands onboard of the National Geographic Endeavour, as a guest. The knowledge of the guides and the amazing experience seeing the islands from a different angle made him realize the importance of preserving what we have in the world.

Recently, his interest shifted to better understanding the weirdest and most unpredictable animal of them all: humankind. He moved to the city of Guayaquil on mainland Ecuador, where he pursued studies in psychology. However, the call of the Galapagos was too strong in the end. He came back and jumped at the chance of becoming a naturalist guide with the park service. This way, he combines both of his passions: experiencing nature and interacting with people.