An ornithologist, photographer and writer, Santiago was born and raised in southern Patagonia, Argentina, which meant that wilderness was only a short step from his front door.

He obtained a degree in tourism and later in ornithology, which allowed him to combine his love for nature and the outdoors with his work as a bird watcher, naturalist, fly fisher and mountain guide. During the off-season Santiago continues his ornithology research, focusing his attention on birds of southern Patagonia and Antarctica. He is studying the biology of the rediscovered Austral Rail, nesting of Chilean Swallows, and also searching the winter grounds of the patagonian endemic Hooded Grebe.

Marine mammals are another of his interests and he has worked as a field assistant studying Killer Whales and Chilean Dolphins among others.

An avid naturalist, Santiago spends as much time as possible in nature and is always looking for new places to visit and ways of transmitting his love and interest in small things to others. In order to help people understand nature, he works as an interpretive guide and also helps schools science projects in an attempt to interest children in nature. Antarctica has always been of great interest to him, and he wanted to visit since his father gave him a book about the area when he was 7. A number of seasons have passed and he insists on coming back!

Santiago photographs and writes about the many places he visits and his experiences as a guide, trying to convey in words and pictures some sense of the magic of nature. His articles and stories have been published in scientific journals and popular travel magazines. In the last year two of his books on birds have been published, he has been appointed teaching assistant on wildlife management at the University of Austral Patagonia, and has become a certified wilderness first responder.