Naturalist icon Naturalist

Gilda Gonzalez

Gilda was born in Ambato, located in the very heart of the Ecuadorian Andes. Since she was a child, she loved animals, often rescuing street cats and dogs. Her parents always made sure there were nature books and plenty of Jacques Cousteau’s videos at home. She graduated from high school with a degree in chemistry and biology. Afterwards, Gilda obtained a B.A. in tourism and hotel management in Quito. She also studied English, French and German, later spending two months in Brussels, Belgium.

Gilda began working on the mainland of Ecuador for the Museum of Colonial Art, the Archeological Museum of the Central Bank of Ecuador, and the Ethnological Museum Abya-Yala in Quito. While working for these important institutions she specialized in archeology, baroque art, religious iconography, and the ethnic groups that live in Ecuador. She also learned about the medicinal uses of Ecuador's native plants.

Gilda has served as a guide throughout Ecuador. Her first contact with the Galápagos was when she travelled there to be trained as a naturalist by the Galápagos National Park Service and Charles Darwin Research Center in 1996, and she has been working as a naturalist ever since.

Gilda discovered a new passion for the observation of marine mammals, birds, geology, and biogeography and is also fascinated by evolution. When not at work in the islands, she spends quality time with her young son, and also likes to paint and practice photography while traveling around Ecuador with her family.

My upcoming expeditions

Exploring Galápagos

May 9 2025
May 30 2025
Jun 6 2025
Jul 25 2025
Aug 1 2025
Sep 5 2025
Sep 12 2025
Nov 15 2024
Nov 22 2024
Dec 13 2024
Dec 20 2024
Dec 27 2024
Jan 3 2025
Jan 24 2025
Jan 31 2025
Feb 7 2025
Sep 19 2025
Sep 26 2025
Oct 17 2025
Oct 24 2025
Oct 31 2025
Nov 7 2025
Feb 14 2025
Apr 18 2025
Apr 25 2025
May 2 2025

Exploring Galápagos, Machu Picchu and Peru's Land of the Inca

May 9 2025
May 30 2025
Jun 6 2025
Jul 25 2025
Aug 1 2025
Sep 5 2025
Nov 15 2024
Nov 22 2024
Dec 13 2024
Dec 20 2024
Jan 3 2025
Jan 24 2025
Jan 31 2025
Sep 12 2025
Sep 19 2025
Sep 26 2025
Oct 17 2025
Oct 24 2025
Oct 31 2025
Nov 7 2025
Feb 7 2025
Feb 14 2025
Apr 18 2025
Apr 25 2025
May 2 2025

Galápagos by Catamaran, Machu Picchu and Peru's Land of the Inca

Jun 13 2025
Jun 20 2025
Aug 22 2025
Nov 28 2025
Mar 7 2025
Mar 14 2025
Mar 21 2025
Mar 28 2025
Dec 5 2025
Dec 12 2025

Galápagos by Catamaran: An Intimate Voyage

Jun 13 2025
Jun 20 2025
Aug 22 2025
Nov 28 2025
Mar 7 2025
Mar 14 2025
Mar 21 2025
Mar 28 2025
Dec 5 2025
Dec 12 2025