An Interview – Michelle Solon

This week on ‘An Interview with WiseOceans’ we spoke with our own Michelle Solon

Name: Michelle Solon

Role: Marine Biologist and Educator

Company: WiseOceans

Top Tip: Don’t give up!

1. What inspired you to pursue a career in marine conservation? 

I grew up in a coastal city in São Paulo, Brazil which geographically speaking, is an island, in a country with an incredibly long coastline and an explosion of marine life from north to south. Growing up surrounded by the ocean, naturally kept me connected to the sea, whether through simple recreational activities like going to the beach or surfing.

From a young age, I’ve always felt a strong connection to nature, which led me to study Biological Sciences. Over time, my passion for the ocean guided me toward Marine Biology, where I chose to specialise and focus my career.

I also have a strong sense of curiosity and a travelling spirit which I believe many biologists share this desire to explore different places, ecosystems, and biomes. This combination of a love for the ocean, a deep connection to nature, and an adventurous spirit is what led me to pursue this career and motivates me to protect what I love.

2. What steps did you take or are you currently taking to achieve your career goals?

I graduated 12 years ago, and during this time I’ve had the opportunity to work in different areas and learn a lot along the way. Throughout my career, I’ve always worked closely with ecotourism and hospitality, using tourism as a way to educate and connect people with nature.

While I was still at university, I did my first diving course and it was a game changer! I truly fell in love with diving and at some point, diving became my main job. But I also see diving as a very powerful tool for marine conservation, whether it’s introducing people to the ocean for the first time, teaching courses, or promoting more sustainable practices within ecotourism.

The diving world opened many doors for me and connected me with people from different backgrounds such dive professionals, conservationists, photographers, and researchers. This network has been extremely important for my career and continues to be valuable to this day.

Working as a dive instructor also gave me the opportunity to travel and work in many different places, allowing me to see a wide range of conservation strategies and projects around the world. This was especially important for my career because marine biology and conservation tourism are still quite limited in Brazil compared to other countries. Opportunities that combine marine biology, sustainable tourism, and direct guest engagement as resort-based conservation programs are still very rare there.

Exploring opportunities abroad, connecting with professionals in the field, and understanding how the international market works played a key role in my professional development. It not only opened doors for new opportunities, but also gave me a lot of practical, hands-on knowledge.

I also strongly believe that staying open to learning is essential in the this field. It’s a constantly evolving area, with new discoveries happening all the time.

3. How did you obtain your current position? 

As a diver, I’ve always wanted to explore different seas. My journey took me from working in Brazil and the Caribbean to an opportunity in Thailand. There, I worked with a dive center that had its own coral reef restoration project and coral nursery, as well as several marine biology–focused courses, such as shark ecology and coral reef ecology. This experience helped me to combine diving, education, and conservation.

After that, I received an opportunity to work in the Maldives as a marine biologist and dive instructor, where I led my own coral conservation project. I was involved in the entire process, from setting up the coral nursery, planting and transplanting coral fragments, to guest engagement activities, marine biology presentations, conservation-focused dives and turtle nesting monitoring.

After my time in the Maldives, I moved to Seychelles, where I connected with WiseOceans. That’s where I now have the opportunity to focus fully on marine biology and marine conservation.

4. Which part of your job do you enjoy the most?  

I love to be in the water!

5. Are there aspects of your position which make you feel that you are really ‘making a difference’? 

I believe that any activity where I create a positive and meaningful experience for my guests makes me feel like, I’m making a difference! Whether it’s taking someone snorkeling or diving for the first time, or involving guests in coral planting, these moments reinforce the power of education and connection with the marine environment.

On a more personal level, coral restoration is the most rewarding part for me. Planting each coral fragment, following its growth, seeing those corals thrive over time, makes the work feel meaningful and gives me a real feeling of accomplishment and happiness!

6. What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were starting out?

The power of LinkedIn hahahaha. I only started using LinkedIn more actively a little over a year ago. I already had a profile, but I wasn’t really using it. Once I did, I realized how powerful it can be for connecting professionals.

This position, for example, came through LinkedIn. But it’s not only about LinkedIn any social media in general can be a great way to connect with people in the diving and marine conservation world. It’s a small industry, and many professionals have worked in different places around the world. Those connections can lead to advice, shared experiences, introductions, and sometimes even job opportunities.

My previous role in the Maldives came through a referral from someone who worked with me in Thailand, and my current role in Seychelles came through LinkedIn. That really showed me the value of networking!

Don’t be shy and use social media in a positive way. It can help people find you, and help you reach others. It’s not just about showing how cool it is to work in tropical places, but about building real connections and using these platforms to support your professional growth.

7. Are there any skills you never thought you would need but did?

Honestly, there are many skills I never imagined I would need. Working with diving taught me a lot about patience and empathy, especially learning how to put yourself in someone else’s place when they are being exposed to an environment where they don’t feel comfortable. Fear, anxiety, and insecurity are very common in the ocean, and learning how to transform that fear into a positive and enjoyable experience requires many different skills.

Communication is definitely one of the most important ones. At university, I had many opportunities to practice public speaking through seminars and presentations. But presenting science in a language that isn’t your mother tongue brings a whole new challenge. You have to be able to adapt your words depending on who you’re talking to.. a child, an adult, or someone who has never heard about marine biology before.

On top of that, working with guests in the ocean means being flexible and adaptable.. you never know who you’ll be guiding. Some have never snorkeled, some can’t swim, and people come from all kinds of cultures, for example, adjusting how we guide guests in the water to respect their cultural or religious clothing. You have to adapt, respect their needs, and make the experience positive for everyone.

Another skill I never expected to need so much is marketing. Being able to promote your work, your projects, the activities that your company promote to get more people involved. Marketing has become very important nowadays for everything.

All of this has taught me that this field requires you to be versatile, flexible, to have empathy and respect.

8. What advice would you give to budding marine conservationists?  

Don’t be afraid to reach out and connect with people. Write to others who have worked in this field, who have experience, or who know someone who can introduce you. Many people have reached out to me, and I’ve been able to guide them and I’ve also been guided myself.

Also, try to gain as much experience as you can. If you have the chance to volunteer and learn something new, take it. If volunteering isn’t possible because you need to earn money, apply for paid positions, even if they’re not highly paid, as long as they give you room to grow.

Another thing is not to wait until they feel “fully ready” to take on an opportunity. Being willing to learn, adapt, and grow is just as important as meeting every requirement on paper.

And most importantly: Don’t give up!

The marine biology and conservation field can sometimes feel a bit harsh, especially financially, but it’s important to remember that you’re doing what you love. The work we do truly makes a difference, and in the end, you’ll be much happier than sitting in an office for eight hours or getting stuck in traffic.

9. What is your favourite marine creature and why?

I’m obsessed with hammerhead sharks! I love all sharks, but if I had to choose one marine animal as my favorite, it would definitely be the hammerhead.
Their hydrodynamic shape, their incredible wide vision, and the fact that they can form schools, something so rare among sharks, fascinates me.

10. What is your most unforgettable moment in the sea?

This is a tough one.. Approaching 3.000 dives, I’ve had many special moments in the sea.. But if I had to choose just one, it would be diving in the Galápagos Islands. I remember one dive in particular where I saw my first Oceanic Blacktip Shark, along with Galapagos sharks, Hammerhead, Sea turtle, Sea lions, and Marine iguanas, all at the same time. Pelicans were diving for fish, schools of sardines and I honestly didn’t know where to look first. I was only a Rescue Diver back then, many years ago, but that dive has stayed with me. It felt like being inside a National Geographic documentary, with all the action happening right in front of me.