Galapagos Islands News

Captain Rocafuerte, 34, has been with the Athala for two years. He is the primary ship's captain, working six weeks on board at a time before taking a three-week break. The Athala is proud to have the diligent, well trained Captain Rocafuerte in charge.

Background:

Originally from Guayaquil, Captain Rocafuerte first went to Galapagos during his stint in the navy, when he was stationed in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. He soon fell in love with the islands and decided he wanted to stay there. He trained as a sailor in the Merchant Marine, a three-year process. While he trained, he worked as a carpenter and waiter in order to make ends meet. Once he was trained and could work on board, he never looked back.

He took the advanced training necessary to be an officer, working his way through as a crewman and bartender on a SCUBA diving ship. Upon completion of the officer's course, he decided to aim even higher and studied the extremely difficult and challenging Captain's course (known in the Ecuador Merchant Marine as "Patrón de Altura"). Since receiving his license, he has captained several Galapagós ships, where his skill and integrity brought him to the attention of the owners of the Athala who happily signed him on as Captain.

Education:

Like all ship's captains in Ecuador, Captain Rocafuerte had to attend and pass the sailor, officer and captain courses described above, a process that takes even the best students several years. In addition, all captains must take eleven different specialty courses at least once every five years. These courses include Radar, Sea Communications, Lifeboat Management, Crisis Management and Basic Medical Care, as well as others.

A Day in the Life:

On a relatively small ship like the Athala, Captain Rocafuerte must be at the helm whenever it is moving. Often the ship moves from one island to another at night, requiring Captain Rocafuerte to keep irregular hours and wake up early. He enjoys having breakfast and other meals with the guests when his schedule permits.

When the visitors are on land exploring, Captain Rocafuerte takes care of all ship's business including supervising the crew while they clean, doing paperwork, ordering supplies, etc. He occasionally accompanies the visitors ashore, particularly if anyone needs assistance. "I'm happy when someone needs help, because that gives me an excuse to go ashore with the guests," he admits. His roots working on dive ships occasionally show: has also been known to grab a mask and snorkel and jump in with the guests at the better snorkeling sites.

In the evening, he likes to dine with the guests when he can, and is often up very late navigating the ship to the next day's destination.

A Few of His Favorite Things:

Captain Rocafuerte is pleased to be working aboard the Athala: "The Athala is a great ship. The accommodations are comfortable, the cabins are nice, and I personally like the speed and stability of a catamaran. Our new itinerary is very good, too: we get to see some of the best visitor sites in the islands."

He truly enjoys captaining a tourist ship. He thinks the islands are beautiful and delights in sharing them with foreigners: "I love meeting new people from different countries and cultures. I have a great job. Every week or four days I get to meet friendly new people from all over the world. I learn so much!"