OUR TEAM
Our Team make it all possible. From answering your booking questions to ensuring your equipment is in the best working order to finding those hammerheads if they’re about, everyone at Scuba Iguana is committed to making sure your experience is exceptional. Get to know us a little here.
Mathias Espinosa
Owner and Founder
Mathias is an accredited Naturalist Guide and diver with over 20 years’ experience in the Galapagos. He was chief guide on the Agressor liveaboard fleet for 6 years, is an underwater cameraman and photographer and in 1999, working with the Smithsonian Institute, he featured in the IMAX movie ‘Galapagos’.
Jack Nelson
Owner and Founder
Jack has been working in Galapagos tourism since 1967. He is a marlinspike seaman, navigator, diver, hotelier and Naturalist Guide. He is also an avid sport fisherman.
Veronica
Scuba Iguana’s pillar!
General Manager for 12 years, Veronica is the axis on which the Scuba Iguana planet turns smoothly from reservations to regulations. She came to the Galapagos almost 20 years ago and loves the peaceful island life.
Paulo
Master Instructor and Guide
With Scuba Iguana for more than 15 years Paulo is now one of our chief guides and most qualified instructors. He is also a biology degree student and currently conducting a study of the archipelago’s marine turtle population.
Quike (Keekay)
Dive Instructor and Guide
Quike is another of our most experienced guides and a licensed dive instructor. He started working with us a teenager and has over 20 years’ experience of Galapagos seas having lived here since childhood.
Sebastian
Dive Instructor and Guide
With us for over 5 years, Sebastian knows his way around the reefs. He inherited a passion for diving from his father, a former Scuba Iguana boat captain, and it is equaled only by his passion for Barcelona football club, the main Guayaquil team, for whom he plays and (sometimes) lives!
Enrique
Captain
After 30 years living and fishing in the Galapagos Enrique has extensive knowledge of the seas, dive sites and surrounding environment. If you keep an eye out you can also see him playing volleyball in the town center at the weekends.
Daniel
Sailor
Born in the Galapagos, Daniel is a licensed rescue diver but his passion is to drive our boat and become our future Captain. You’ll meet him helping Tino on our dives – he’s close to achieving his goal!
Efrain
Maintenance manager
Nicknamed ‘MacGyver’ for his various technical skills, Efrain is certified specialist for Bauer compressors and ScubaPro equipment. He is also a skilled welder, outboard mechanic, refrigeration technician and regulator repairman among other things.
Karina
Accounts and
Administration
Karina is the right hand of the Accounting Department in the company. From her depends that all important activities in the company are carried out in an optimal way, for which she works with accuracy in each of her actions. She also has different characteristics to perform each of her tasks.
Karina has been performing each of her functions for approximately 10 years already.
Jessica
Administration and
reservations
Jessica is an essential part of the team that keeps Scuba Iguana running smoothly. She loves meeting divers from all over the world but when not with us she enjoys time with her daughter, going to the beach and crossfit.
Kowi
In-store reservations and
customer support
Originally from Quito Kowi became hooked on Scuba after his first casual dive. He is now a Rescue Diver and working on his Divemaster certification when not surfing or playing guitar in a Puruwa music band. His is the smiling face you see first when you visit us!
Claudia
Dive Instructor, Guide and Online reservations and customer support
Claudia has been with us for over 10 years, from volunteer Divemaster to becoming an instructor. She has dived in Brasil and all over Central America. Studied ecological tourism. Work as Dive Instructor, dive guide and also helping us with reservations and looking after her 2 sons.
Maria
Online reservations and customer support
A biologist from Cuenca, Maria came to the Galapagos in 2003 to work on her thesis. She became Scuba Iguana family after meeting Mathias through their shared love of music and guitar playing. Today, when not helping with your reservations she manages beautiful vacation rental ‘Casa de Mathias’ and teaches yoga.