Tanya Helmig

From cold and blustery Scotland, and with her Chemistry degree certificate hot off the press, Tanya landed in the Ecuadorian jungle, over 30 years ago, a little shell-shocked for her first full-time job! Having decided her interests lay more in the natural world than in pure chemical sciences, she spent her first year in the northern Amazonian jungles of Ecuador working as a naturalist guide. It gave her a fascinating introduction to the wildlife and indigenous communities of the jungle and was invaluable training for her next adventure. A year later, in 1992, she qualified as a naturalist guide after completing the jointly run Galapagos National Park and Charles Darwin Research Station guide training course. She is particularly interested in the unique adaptations plants and animals have evolved to their environment and continues to be amazed at the unexpected wildlife moments she still encounters even after so many years of guiding.

Her early childhood was spent in Indonesia where she learned how to snorkel, an interest which led to learning how to dive in the frigid waters of Scotland, and to qualifying as a PADI SCUBA Diving Instructor, shortly after arriving in Galapagos. She led diving trips in Galapagos for a few years before concentrating on land-based tours. She has had a couple of career breaks whilst raising her two daughters, having moved to Scotland for their high school education, however, is now embracing the next exciting journey after returning to Galapagos since her children have flown the nest.