Maya Santangelo

Marine biologist and professional scuba diver Maya has spent more than 15 years diving, documenting and sharing the remarkable marine life found from the poles to the tropics. Originally from Southern California, her connection to the ocean grew while living in Sydney, Australia, where she learned to scuba dive, later became a dive instructor and studied marine biology at university.

Her interests expanded as a Rolex Scholar with the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society, working alongside leaders in marine science, conservation and exploration around the world. Maya later earned a master's degree in Marine and Antarctic Science from the University of Tasmania, where her research focused on ecology to support fisheries management and marine conservation. Her work has included studying the habitat use of critically endangered sharks, the foraging behavior of leopard seals and the development of marine protected areas in Antarctica.

When not learning about or diving beneath Antarctic waters, Maya leads research expeditions studying manta rays in the remote Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia. An enthusiastic science communicator and proud nerd, she enjoys making the unseen world beneath the surface accessible to others, sharing the fascinating stories, discoveries and connections that would otherwise remain out of sight and out of mind.