Paulina Aguirre

Paulina has always been connected to the Galapagos: through her grandmother, who arrived on the islands in the 1930’s, and her mother who was born on Isabela Island. Although she grew up and studied in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, Paulina spent almost every holiday in Galapagos visiting her family. She graduated with a degree in early childhood education, in which she worked for a short time.

When on summer break in the islands, she had the opportunity to crew a private yacht from New Zealand and decided to sail around the Pacific, ending up working in the yachting industry for more than six years. During those years she also resided in New Zealand where she followed a course in gourmet cooking. Several years later, while she was living between the Caribbean and the French Riviera, she decided to return to the islands that she felt a part of and had formed her love of the natural world. From a young age, Paulina loved to work with animals and having sailed extensively to so many destinations, becoming a Galapagos naturalist guide and spending time at sea in the Galapagos marine reserve seemed a perfect and logical next step. Since then, she has worked as a naturalist in the Galapagos, living in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island with her husband, also a naturalist and their young daughter Eva. In her spare time, Paulina practices and teaches yoga.