Lucas Bustamante

Co-founder, CEO, Director of Photography

Lucas Bustamante is a biologist and an environmental photojournalist from Ecuador, based in the Galápagos Islands. He co-founded Tropical Herping (TH) in 2009 and is our CEO and Director of Photography. Lucas is the author of three books (including Reptiles of Ecuador) and has described 13 new species to science. Lucas’s primary goal is to use photography to promote environmental and cultural conservation. He loves exploring new destinations for TH to stay up to date on photo tour options for our clients.

His photographic work has been published in National Geographic Magazine, BBC Wildlife, Audubon, Smithsonian, GEO, and other publications, as well as in books, photo exhibitions, and articles. Nature Picture Library represents his images, and he is a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP).

Image of a King Angelfish (Holacanthus passer)
Image of a Common White-flanked Water Spider (Thalassius albocinctus)
Image of an Andean Bear (Tremarctos ornatus)
Image of a Wolf Volcano Giant-Tortoise (Chelonoidis becki)
Image of a group of Marine Iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)
Image of a group of Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)
Image of an Amazon Horned-Frog (Ceratophrys cornuta)
Image of a Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
Image of a Jaguar (Panthera onca)
Image showing a group of Guanaco (Lama guanicoe)
Image of a Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera)
Image of an Ornate Cat-eyed Snake (Leptodeira ornata) preying upon a Red-eyed Treefrog (Agalychnis callydrias)
Image of a flock of Cobalt-winged Parakeets (Brotogeris cyanoptera)
Image showing two Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua)
Image of a Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki)

Behind the scenes

Lucas is a Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY), Nature’s Best, and World Photographic Cup prizewinner. He also enjoys curating and editing images, so he has been invited to serve on the jury of the WPY, Audubon Photography Awards, and The Nature Conservancy Photo Contest. He is also Vice President and co-founder of Savia Fund, an Ecuadorian Non-profit that works in the legal defense of nature, environmental and cultural conservation, and visual storytelling.

Image of photographer Lucas Bustamante and biologist Jose Vieira during an expedition to the Cueva de Los Tallos in Ecuador
Image of photographer Lucas Bustamante documenting a giant tortoise in the Galápagos
Image of photographer Lucas Bustamante and biologist Jose Vieira carrying an anaconda in the Yasuní National Park
Image of photographer Lucas Bustamante documenting a flycatcher in the Galápagos Islands
Image showing the silhouette of Lucas Bustamante against a dune in Namibia
Image of photographer Lucas Bustamante giving a presentation during a Conservation International event in Quito
Image of photographer Lucas Bustamante aiming his camera towards the canopy during a trip to Napo Wildlife Center
Aerial image of photographer Lucas Bustamante at the observation tower of Napo Wildlife Center in the Ecuadorian Amazon
Image of photographer Lucas Bustamante giving a TEDex presentation in Quito