Marine Scientist. Educator. Ocean Enthusiast.

Over two decades in the water, the classroom, and everywhere in between.

'I believe the most important thing we can give young people is a genuine sense of wonder -
 and the tools to do something with it.'

Joanna Dunckley Phillips

CEO & Founder
I’ve spent most of my life in or around the ocean — and teaching others to love it as fiercely as I do.
My journey started with a BSc in Marine Sciences at the University of Southampton, followed by a Masters in Oceanography at the Université de Bordeaux. From there, I headed to Indonesia to volunteer and then work as a survey diver with Operation Wallacea, then to Mexico with Pronatura Yucatan monitoring sea turtles.
The ocean had me — and it hasn’t let go since.
Alongside my fascination with all things marine related, I’ve built a parallel life as an educator: teaching students from ages 4 to 18+ across five continents, working in classrooms, on long-term residential contracts, and teaching while travelling including aboard a large yacht in the South Pacific. I’ve set up working science labs in people’s houses and helped students earn places at top schools and colleges.

Big Blue Education is where the marine science and the teaching finally ended up in the same place. The belief that the best education happens when young people are genuinely excited about the world — and that the ocean is one of the most powerful teachers there is.

Qualifications & Certifications

  • BSc Marine Sciences — University of Southampton.
  • Masters Oceanology — Universite de Bordeaux
  • PGCE Secondary Mathematics — Goldsmiths, University of London
  • PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer — #471553
  • ReefCheck Certified Trainer
  • Emergency First Response Instructor & Rescue Diver
  • RYA Coastal Skipper
  • Molchanovs Freediver

What I Bring

I’m a qualified secondary school teacher (PGCE, Goldsmiths) with a specialism in Mathematics, but my teaching spans Maths, Sciences, English, French, Spanish — and of course marine science at IGCSE level, with A-level coming soon. I’ve worked with children and young adults from age 4 through to university preparation, in schools, at home, online, and on the road.

I’m also fluent in Spanish and French, speak bad Portuguese and Indonesian, and have lived and worked in Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico, Seychelles, Fiji, the Caribbean and across the Pacific. That breadth of experience isn’t just a fun fact — it shapes how I teach, how I connect with students, and why educational travel is such a core part of what Big Blue Education does.


Ocean Credentials

I’ve been diving since before it was a career choice. As a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and qualified ReefCheck trainer, I’ve run dive centres, led underwater surveys, managed dive operations, and trained divers across Indonesia, the Seychelles, Thailand, Mexico, the Caribbean and Fiji. I’m an Emergency First Response Instructor and Rescue Diver — so safety is always part of the package.

Alongside scuba, you’ll find me freediving, on a SUP, snowboarding, hiking with my pups or on a padel court. The water is home. This platform is my way of helping others discover that same connection.

The Ocean Is the Classroom

Some of the most powerful learning happens underwater. Big Blue Education designs bespoke educational travel experiences that put students in the middle of real ecosystems — doing actual science, not just watching it. Combining marine science with the adventure of exploring some of the world’s most extraordinary ocean environments.


Coral reef surveys. Whale research. Sea turtle monitoring. The places where the science your student is studying is happening right now. These trips aren’t a reward for learning marine science. They’re part of learning it. These are experiences that change how young people see the world.

  • Case studies from past expeditions
  • Suggested itineraries by region and interest
  • Tailored programmes in partnership with Tutors International


Ready to Dive In?

Whether you’re looking for expert marine science tuition or a once-in-a-lifetime educational expedition — or simply wondering whether Big Blue Education is right for you, get in touch. It won’t go to an inbox managed by someone who’s never met me.

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