Hi, I'm Maya — Mom, Educator, and Ocean Obsessive
Why Jr. Marine Biologist Exists
Kids don't protect what they've never touched. That's the whole idea behind Jr. Marine Biologist. I'm a full-time single mom of two, and I've watched what happens when a child stops reading about the ocean and starts holding a piece of it - a real shark tooth, a sea urchin, a shell they can finally name. Curiosity turns into care, and care turns into a kid who grows up defending the water. Every kit we build exists for that exact moment.
Meet Maya
I'm Maya Hawk - a Florida single mom of two and the founder of Under Blue Waters, the marine education company behind Jr. Marine Biologist. I started this because I wanted my own kids to learn the ocean the way you actually learn it: hands in the water, specimens on the table, questions nobody planned for. I couldn't find kits that were both genuinely educational and beautiful enough to keep - so I built them. Every box is still packed and shipped by me, and if it isn't good enough for my own two, it doesn't ship.
What Makes Our Kits Different
Real specimens, not printouts. Every Adventure Kit is built around things your child can actually hold, sort, and examine, paired with lessons that teach real marine science instead of filler crafts. They're made to be kept - sturdy, beautiful, and collectible month after month. Homeschool families, classroom teachers, and ocean-obsessed kids all use them the same way: open the box, and the lesson starts itself.