Melissa Silva is a marine biologist who has been guiding nature adventures in Mexico since 2012, sharing her passion for wildlife and conservation with guests from around the world. Though her formal training has revolved around sea creatures, she has also developed wider expertise as a naturalist. She recently joined Nat Hab’s team in the Central Highlands of Mexico to share the incredible monarch butterfly migration with our guests. Born in Guadalajara, Melissa moved to Puerto Vallarta for high school and college, where she focused part of her studies on nudibranchs. She is currently working on her master's thesis focused on seahorse mating behavior. Melissa’s motivation as a guide is to enhance the conservation of nature, which she believes can only be achieved by encountering and knowing the wonders of the natural world. Toward that end, she considers it very important to share her knowledge of and respect for the environment with all travelers.

Upcoming Adventures with Melissa:
Kingdom of the Monarchs
Swimming with Mexico's Whale Sharks

Praise from Nat Hab travelers:

J. Gunn
"Melissa is amazing! She is extremely knowledgeable and personable and reads her travelers exceptionally well. She genuinely seems to enjoy her work and everyone with whom she travels. We liked her so much that we tried to convince her to apply as an Expedition Leader for other Nat Hab trips we want to take."

A. Keller
"Melissa and Fernando were very knowledgeable and friendly. They took great care in assuring that each and every one of us was well taken care of. Their shared knowledge of the monarchs and local culture was exemplary. A million kudos to both of them for making us feel at home and as one in a family."

B. Alford
"Melissa and Court were exceptional! I would travel with either one again. At the orientation, they said we would become a family, and by the end of the trip, we were. Their knowledge of the monarch butterfly and photography was outstanding."

L. Phelan
"Melissa was amazing. I've never had guides who were able to recall so much information about the land, the people and the history of Mexico. Now I take awesome pics all the time! Both Melissa and Fernando made the trip so wonderful—I'll never go on another tour of Mexico without one of them!"

K. Madia
"Melissa and Drew were the best guides I have had on any trip. Melissa was a logistics genius. Both of them worked well together and had great personalities conducive to what they do."