Our Crew

Meet our crew

Daniel Mora – Captain

Ecuadorian

Captain Daniel Mora is a lover of the ocean and all things Galapagos. With over 33 years in the tourism industry in the Galapagos Islands and 5 years as a Galapagos Tour Guide, Captain Daniel is sure to impress you with his local knowledge and expertise. Originally for the island of San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands, Captain Daniel knew early on that his heart belonged to the sea and has been captaining yachts for over 30 years. He is PADI rescue diver certified and spent countless hours exploring the marine life of the Galapagos. Captain Daniel emphasizes a “team player” attitude onboard and encourages his crewmembers to always go the extra mile and help each other out. He is very proud of his crew and work ethic onboard STELLA MARIS. Daniel has been onboard STELLA MARIS since its inception and delivered the yacht in 2013 from Ft. Lauderdale to the Galapagos Islands. In his free time, Captain Daniel can be found fishing, reading, listening to music or playing volleyball and football. He will make sure you have a safe and fun experience onboard STELLA MARIS.

Cristhian Suarez - 1st Mate

Ecuadorian

Cristian found his calling 10 years ago when he began sailing the waters off the coast of Ecuador. In 1990, Tito moved to San Cristobal, Galapagos, to further his connection with the ocean and marine life. Not knowing what was in store for him, a friend recommended he take a course that would allow him to work on yachts. He hasn’t looked back since. With 10 years of experience under his belt, Chris has cruised all over the Galapagos Islands on many different yachts. In his free time, he loves spending his days with his 3 boys, 13, 11, and 7 years old. In additional Tito enjoys volleyball and soccer.

Executive Chef – Marco Cigna
Belgian

Languages

French (fluent), Spanish (fluent), English (basic), Italian (basic)

Marco grew up Belgum with his parents, two older sisters, and four older brothers. He worked in France for 14 years in various regions hotels and restaurant where he acquired the Knowledge of traditional French Cuisine. Marco then moved to England to work at the Michelin Star rated Castle Inwik House (Relais et Chateau) . After that, he spent two years in Spain, three years in Corsica, and then the Caribbean Islands of Guadeloupe and San Martin, studying the different regional cuisines as he went. Marco has now settled in Quito, Ecuador and ran his own company as a Chef Instructor, hotel and restaurant consult, and high end caterer. He has served ambassadors, president of the republic diplomats, and prime ministers and especially enjoy giving personalized attention to clients.

Chef Cristian Arroba
Ecuadorian

He is an Ecuadorian chef born on March 19, 1990, in Quito. Although Cristian came from a family of gourmands, food was important in the household. He took up cooking at age 15, when he began an apprenticeship at a small Spanish restaurant, thus influencing his career direction. At age 17, he attended “Escuela de los Chefs in Quito”. After many years of experience, he opened two restaurant at Quito. Cristian Raul enjoys spending time with his family, going to the gym and playing tennis. He likes to research and read about new cooking trends, nutrition and new flavor matches. He is passionate and dedicated to his craft. His love for the art of cooking is reflected in the techniques and skills involved in his food preparation and presentation. His passion to learn and practice continues to inspire him to try new things.

Sous Chef – Pedro Bajana
Ecuadorian

Raised in the port city of Ecuador, Guayaquil , which is known as the gateway to Pacific beaches and the Galapagos Islands. As the second of four brothers Pedro, raised by his mother , he has always had a mind geared toward the technical side, having a great interest in cars and motorcycles . After joining the yachting industry in 2003, in 2010 Pedro achieved his Technician in Food and Beverages degree from the “Instituto Superior de Artes Culinarias”. With loyalty and admiration for his roots, Pedro has worked exclusively on yachts based in the Galapagos , making him extremely educated on the cuisine. Pedro has found a passion for all things culinary and feel blessed to be in a position on board STELLA MARIS to share his talents with others. He enjoys constantly learning and meeting any and all challenges head on and is determined to find solutions. His main goal is for all charter guests to leave with a smile and a few stories to bring home

Chief Stewardess – Wendy Pineiros
Ecuadorian

Wendy was born and raised in the picturesque City of Tulcán. Ecuador which borders Colombia. Wendy along with two twin brothers, was raised into a family of professionals and fighters, with parents dedicated to give them the best possible education. She studied in Quito and in the United States obtaining her Bachelor of Science degree, Hotel & Cruise Management certification from the Universidad Tecnológical Equinoccial, and her PYA yacht Interior Service Certificate from Warsah Superyachts Academy. Following her education, Wendy immediately began working in the yachting industry on board STELLA MARIS. Her ultimate goal is to be a complete expert in the operating of a luxury yacht to farther her career. Her favorite thing about being on a charter yacht are floral arrangements, theme nights, and elaborate table decorations making her a one of a kind party thrower and expert at setting the mood. Wendy makes an excellent chief stew by motivating teamwork from her fellow crew and working well with everyone. Her sense of humor is infectious and her desire to share beauty of the Galapagos is undeniable, leaving each guest with a new found love for this Off the beaten Path.

Second Stewardess – Beatriz Sierra
Swedish

Languages

Fluent Spanish & Swedish, Conversational French & German

Beatriz was born in the Swedish city of Norrkoping, to an Ecuadorian father and a Swedish mother, where she lived with her two sisters for the first 15 years of her life. At t h a t y o u ng age, her family moved, trading in t h e only la n g u a g e s he’ d ever known, for her family’s roots in Ecuador. Her she lived and gained extensive knowledge in different languages and the Ecuadorian culture. After a brief stint back in Sweden for six months, she realized she could not deny the draw of the Ecuadorian culture, food, and opportunities she found there. In 2014 she enrolled in the “Universidad Technological Equinoctial” and by the end of 2018 will receive her degree in Engineering in Tourism and Environmental Conservation. Beatriz joined the dynamic crew on STELLA MARIS in hopes to grow and a professional and gain a greater knowledge of the beautiful Galapagos. She enjoys the team environment onboard and brings a cheerful and helpful demeanor to STELLA MARIS, which is undeniable to all charter guests. She is attentive to all guests needs while supporting her fellow stewardess, making her an intricate part of the team.

Thrid Stewardess – Elsy Gomez
Ecuadorian

Elsy is a proactive and a hard worker, her experiences as a stewardess in the Yachting industry, and though housekeeping positions with 5 star Hotels, has allowed to her work productively in high-pressure environments while maintaining a positive and helpful attitude. She is very organized & self- motivated, and she is also always eager to learn new skills. We consider her very versatile and can perform most any interior duty or challenge at hand. She is originally from Ecuador, an recently became a Us Citizen in 2015.

Elsy was destine for a career in the yachting industry. Elsy flew over the Galapagos Islands, and even from afar could tell it was a very special place that she needed to be, her skills in the tourism and customer service industry moved on to her dream job onboard STELLA MARIS. Elsy has a bubbly and friendly disposition. You will always find her with a smile on her face.

Third Stewardess – Andrea Arreaga
Ecuadorian

Andrea was born in Guayaquil and raised by her two adorning parents along with two sisters into an unforgettable childhood. She remains close to her entire family and enjoys being so close to them while working in the Galapagos. A main goal of Andrea´s parents was to instill in her to fight for your dreams and the importance of hard work, and her position on STELLA MARIS is proof of that. In 2015 she achieved her Degree in Tourism from the Escuela Superior Polítecnica del Litoral Espol, and after graduation put her education to the test! For the two years she worked at the travel Agency “Aeromundo”, handling operation of tour pakages, and at the Hotel Hilton Colon, in the food and beverage department. In November of 2016, she decided to take her wealth of knowledge of service to sea! She enjoys the yachting industry because it allows her to connect with many different people and can create an experience they will never forget. She has found a home on STELLA MARIS with its inviting atmosphere, and endless adventures to be, while learning everything there is to know about the Galapagos and all the beauty it has to offer.

Emilio Pillajo - 2nd Mate

Ecuadorian

Hailing originally from mainland Ecuador, Emilio stumbled upon the yachting industry by happenstance. While on holiday in the Galapagos with some friend, he met a captain who offered him job on tourist yacht. Emilio’s adventurous spirit carried him to world he could only dream of. He fell in love with yachting and now has over 10 years of experience. The joined STELLA MARIS two years ago and calls it his “dream job”. Emilio will surely dazzle you with his jokester personality and friendly charm. Emilio is known to his shipmates as “MacGyver”. He can fix anything! In his free time, you will find Emilio fixing things, painting, diving, playing volleyball, walking or listening to music. Oh, yeah, and he’s a self-proclaimed movie junkie, so it’s likely you will find him in the cinema.

Pablo Solis – Engineer

Ecuadorian

Boris has been into mechanics since he was in grade school. From the time he was young, he was destine for a career in engineering. He graduated high school with a degree as an industrial technician and immediately moved from his hometown of Riobamba to San Cristobal in 1996 to work as an industrial engineer. He later joined the Navy to increase his knowledge and skills as a mechanic. From his experience in the Navy, Boris discovered he enjoys the challenges and excitement of yacht engineering over land based engineering. He has been working with boats ever since.

In 2000, Boris married the love of his life and they now have to beautiful girls, 14 and 11 years old. In his free time, Boris enjoys playing the drums and watching and/or playing football. Boris will be sure to impress you with his mechanical, musical and athletic skills.

Angel Osorio – Bosun

Ecuadorian

Angel is from Vices, Ecuador. He moved to Galapagos with his family when he was 11 years old and grew up traveling between the islands and fishing. Angel worked for the National Park in Ecuador, but always had an attraction to the ocean. He also liked traveling so much, he decided to join the yachting industry. Angel, Tito and Captain Daniel have worked together on a yacht previous to STELLA MARIS. Their teamwork and cohesiveness is apparent. When Angel is off the yacht he enjoys hunting, playing pool, listening to music, horseback riding and teaching salsa dancing.

Jimmy Santana- Ekectrical Technician

Ecuadorian

Jimmy was born in the coastal city of Esmeraldas, Ecuador where his parents instilled in him the importance of living life with a positive perspective. He still resides in Ecuador with his wife, where they are raising their Two children. Jimmy attended the Juan de Salinas National Technical School where he gained his certification as an Electro Mechanical Technician, and the Galapagos Extension Professional Guide Hotel and Tourism. During his education, he worked at the Assembly Of Hydraulic Pumping Station, PETROMAT. In an effort to gain a greater world knowledge, he joined the yachting industry in 2003 and has found a new calling in the life of a yacht technician. He enjoys most showing guests the unique allure of the Galapagos and the seas where he spent his childhood and is sharing with his own children. His goal is to maintain the optimum quality which charter guests expect so they can enjoys the adventure of a lifetime as they are sailing in the Pacific.

Naturalist Guide - Francisco Flores

Ecuadorian

With over 20 years of experience us naturalist guide in Galápagos in tourism and as a tour leader in Galápagos, Francisco Flores knows what makes a great experience of visitors. As an Ecuador native and resident of Galápagos, he is passionate about sharing his knowledge and love of the islands. He aims to give passengers a high quality, professional, once in a lifetime experience both while they are with him on tour and during their time in the Galápagos Islands. He also has the opportunity to become a photography instructor in a training organized by photographers from the national geographic society.

Trough all these years he has developed academic and empirical knowledge to deal with all sorts of groups, from young adventurist people, as well as Hollywood stars or billionaires. He is a leadership and negotiation’s technics as well as psychological technics focused to work with groups.