Whether you charter a boat or bring your own, all visitors to the Galapagos National Park are required to travel with a Certified Galapagos Naturalist Guide. These naturalist guides are specially trained in conservation and natural sciences by the Charles Darwin Foundation and licensed by the Galapagos National Park Service.

The guides fulfill a very important role, effectively working as the first line of defense in protecting the park's natural resources. They do this literally, by enforcing the park rules and regulations, and also through educating visitors to the park so that they fully understand and can interpret the significance of the natural wonders of the islands.

The guides have also become the eyes and ears of both the National Park Service and the Darwin Station. They are out every day in every area of the archipelago and are therefore the first to observe fires, eruptions, introduced animals etc and raise the alarm. Galapagos guides have also been responsible for identifying iguanas and tortoises in areas where they were thought to be extinct.

Traditionally, top-level Galapagos Naturalist guides hold a Class III license. These International level guides hold a university degree in the natural sciences, are fluent in English, and are trained and certified at the Darwin Station. Most of the Luxury Boats and First Class Boats offer Class III guides.

Moderate and budget boats offer a new generation of bilingual national Class II guides who have received training at the National Park by the Charles Darwin Research Station.

Special interest trips including Photography and Birding often have a Tour leader who accompanies the guide. Tour Leaders are not necessarily trained at the Darwin Station nor hold an appropriate license. Rather, they are experts in their particular field and have come to the Galapagos to hold a seminar or seminars on their subject of expertise.

Trips featuring dive itineraries have dive guides. These guides hold both a Galapagos Guide License and a separate Dive License. Many of the boats that take diving seriously will have a dive leader on board as well. This person may not have the Galapagos Guide License, but often has had much more experience running dive trips abroad, often in the Caribbean.

Naturalist Guide Level 1

Natives or long term local residents of the Galapagos who have a comprehensive knowledge of the area. These guides are required to have completed high school and possess elemental English.

Naturalist Guide Level 2

Naturalist Guide Level 2 Ecuadorian guides who have completed two years of Biology studies or similar, in addition to Tourism studies. These guides are required to be bilingual or even trilingual.

Naturalist Guide Level 3

Naturalist Guide Level 3 Ecuadorian guides, or foreigners who have received authorization to work in Ecuador, who have completed a full Biology degree or similar, in addition to Tourism studies. They are required to be bilingual or trilingual and to be certified.