Fausto Andy, Expert Indigenous Rainforest Guide (Kichwa, Ecuador)

Fausto Andy was born and raised in the community of Escapulo on the Rio Napo and became intimately familiar with the ways of the upper Amazon rainforest as a child. He received his Indigenous Guide License from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism in 1998 and later received his Naturalist Guide License. Today, the Ministry calls on him to train today’s guides in the Amazon region.

Bruce and Fausto met in 1997 in the city of Tena, capital of Ecuador’s Napo province, where they both lived. In those early days, Fausto served as his photography guide and sometimes indigenous model, and they have collaborated ever since. Bruce photographed Fausto (center image above) as they scouted tour locations in Yasuní National Park in August 2019. In the late 90’s, Bruce photographed Fausto as he caught a Pacu (Piaractus brackypomus), vegetarian cousin of the piranha, from his dugout canoe and visited a canopy tower near his home community.

Today, Fausto is recognized as one of Ecuador’s best jungle guides. Over his 25 years of service, having worked for several major lodges in the region and guided film crews and biological expeditions, he has traveled throughout Amazonian Ecuador including the territories of the Huaorani, Shuar, Achuar, Siena and Secoya people. As a result, he enjoys good relationships—and unique access— across the boundaries of their tribal reserves.

Fausto is an expert pilot of both indigenous dugout and large motorized canoes. He has led tours and expeditions through all the major river systems of Amazonian Ecuador. More than 20 times, he has traveled the Napo River from Puerto Napo, Ecuador – near the source of the Amazon River – to it’s confluence with the Amazon River at Iquitos, Peru, a distance of approximately 600 miles. During the administration of President Rafael Correa (2007-2017), he served as the president’s personal guide in the Amazon region. Today, Fausto is training his oldest son to be a rainforest guide.