Paola Luque

Paola was born in the major Ecuadorian port city of Guayaquil, raised near the ocean and rivers. Since childhood she felt a deep connection with nature, which led her to settle in the Galapagos Archipelago in 1998, on the central island of Santa Cruz. Here she got involved in the tourism industry, with a particular interest in food and cooking.Her passion for the sea and traveling then led her to sail the world's oceans to remote destinations, working as crewmember and chef on private yachts for 5 years.

These two experiences of her life made her appreciate the wonders of nature even more and particularly the importance of environmental education for the communities of remote places. Upon returning to the Galapagos, she got involved with Ecology Project International (EPI), a Non-Governmental Organizations with a Galapagos Program that focuses on providing local under-privileged adolescents from the different inhabited islands with an immersive environmental education experience that will motivate and inspire them as lifelong conservation advocates.

In 2016, Paola took the Galapagos National Park guide course, and she has since been working as a Galapagos naturalist guide, combining her passion for the natural work and the oceans, on both land-based and ship-based tours, recently joining the Lindblad-National Geographic team. During her time off, she continues to volunteer as an EPI instructor with the local youth, is involved in local “foodie” movements, as well as enjoying island life.