Melville's views on nature

I have read a couple of his stories now, and it seems he does pay a very close attention to detail when dicussing nature, and paints very vivid scenes upon the subject. Paritcuarly reading The Enchanted Isle, which seemed to give a detailed account of the Islands around the Galaopgos, and a discussion of the kind of life which might be found there. I could not help but to be currious to Melville's views and beleifs regaurding nature, and I could not help but to wonder, was he a naturalist?