Lucas Bustamante

On his travels, Lucas Bustamante has lived with indigenous Amazonian tribes, dived with whale sharks, been bitten by countless snakes and chased by elephants. Growing up around the Ecuadorian outdoors—and the country’s incredible biodiversity—he became a passionate biologist and conservation photojournalist. His goal is to use photography to promote wildlife conservation, and to that end, he manages different projects throughout South America, Africa and Asia.

Lucas co-founded Tropical Herping and the Savia Fund, an Ecuadorian nonprofit that works in the legal defense of nature, visual storytelling, and environmental and cultural conservation. He is an author with multiple titles, including Reptiles of the Galapagos, and has described 8 new species for science. His photographic work has been featured in National Geographic, Audubon, BBC Wildlife, GEO and Smithsonian, as well as many other magazines, books, photo exhibitions and articles. Lucas is a Wildlife Photographer of the Year and a Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice prizewinner. He is also a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), and Nature Picture Library represents his images. Between his many projects, Lucas spends time diving and playing soccer.