Marina Lopez

Malena is the descendant of a Galapagueño father, who instilled early in her a deep love for the Galapagos, and an understanding of its importance in science. She became fascinated early on by the evolutionary mystery of the islands and their inhabitants, but a more competitive world let her to study business management instead. One of her language professors became a mentor to her and helped her focus her goals back towards this initial love of nature, leading for towards field work, science and education.

Following this advice, she turned her sights back to Galapagos and entered into training as a Naturalist Guide in Galapagos, then further specialized in the field of Ecotourism, obtaining her degree in Tourism Management and Environmental Engineering with a certification degree as a National Tour Guide of Ecuador. It is very important for Malena to be an active member of her community on the island of San Cristobal, and she combined her strengths by working with the local Chamber of Tourism and Hotel Association, creating strategies to promote the destination and working together with local entities and authorities. It is her love for the unique nature of Galapagos that keeps her actively involved in guiding, allowing her to spend time immersed in the nature of the archipelago and sharing its magic with visitors to the islands.