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Our Story

Yazz arrived in the archipelago in 2011 and Fred in 2013. It was love at first sight, both for the islands and for each other.

It was the relaxed atmosphere and connection with nature, together with the stunning landscapes and the friendliness of the people, that made them decide to settle in the Azores.

ENDEMIC was set up in 2016 to show visitors the islands of Faial and Pico through the experiences of these two marine biologists. From the outset, the aim has been to pass on information about the fauna, flora, geology and history, conservation and way of life, in a fun, informal and approachable way, so that visitors can get a deeper and more detailed idea of the islands.

Frederico Pessanha

Portuguese, born in the sunny Algarve (1988). From an early age, he realised the important role played by nature. To deepen his knowledge of this subject, he studied marine biology and had the opportunity to attend different European Universities: Portugal, Belgium, Ireland and Spain.

His adventures around the world, especially in Africa, where he worked on a Marine Conservation project in Kenya in 2010, have contributed to his professional and personal growth. Simple acts such as a smile from a passer-by or meeting people who had so little but so much to share, made him fall in love with the relationship and closeness with others and want to bring these values to the art of travelling and meeting travellers.

The Azores appeared on her map as an opportunity for an ENDEMIC lifestyle.

Yasmina Rodríguez

She was born in the Canary Islands (1986) where she grew up in an environment of island endemisms. As an “islander”, she values being surrounded by the landscape of the sea touching the horizon. In search of new experiences, Yazz worked on projects in the Cape Verde and Galapagos archipelagos with sea turtles, where he learnt about different ecosystems and ways of living with local communities.

When she arrived in the Azores, she was captivated by the beauty and power of the intense, verdant nature that floods the islands. As well as having created the ENDEMIC Project together with Fred, where she is the soul of sewing and creativity, she is currently dedicated to research in the area of marine litter at the University of the Azores.

What do we hope for the future?

We love living in this cherished corner of the Atlantic Ocean and we want to continue sharing “our” natural and cultural wonders with the world. We realise that we have a big challenge ahead of us because differentiation as a tourist destination, with environmental awareness and quality of service, is the only way to contribute to more prosperous and sustainable tourism for the Azores and Portugal.