Jacob, the protector of the Galapagos Petrel and herpetology lover
Jacob was raised in San Cristobal Island; since he was a kid, animals have been his passion. He claims that after watching a Galapagos shark at Puerto Baquerizo beach, he knew he wanted to be a biologist.
It was at Guayaquil, when he studied biology, that amphibians and reptiles enchanted him, up to the point of inviting a girlfriend for a night date in the middle of the forest because he wanted to search for snakes. Unfortunately, she was afraid of them. Now he remembers this funny story while laughing out loud.
Jacob joined Jocotoco at the start of the pandemic in March 2020, becoming one of our park guards at our private reserve at San Cristobal Island. Up to that moment, he never had seen a Petrel first-hand, and as he describes it, he was amazed by the "smell of the sea" the birds have. Indeed, the smell helps him find the underground nests these Critically Endangered and endemic species make within our reserve.
While Jacob is still passionate about amphibians and reptiles, he is protecting the Galapagos Petrel daily. His work and that of fellow Eduardo Ríos are highly effective. While only four Galapagos Petrels fledged in 2020 when Jacob started, 17 fledged in 2021, and 22 in 2022.
At Jocotoco, we thank him for his hard work and commitment to protecting, monitoring, and patrolling our Los Petreles reserve in the Galapagos Islands. Jacob is also effective by reaching out to local schools and teaching kids about the importance and uniqueness of the Galapagos biodiversity that fascinates him.
If you want to see his amazing pictures of the Galapagos Islands and the rare species his in love with, feel free to follow him on Instagram @jacobgsalinas
