Hailey Shchepanik

Calling Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, home - and growing up on the icy shores of Lake Superior, Hailey is equally enthralled exploring her own backyard as she is in new and unfamiliar environments. An avid traveler, diver, hiker, and biologist, her curiosity and desire to gain a global perspective on the biodiversity and ecology of the world's oceans have taken her to the far reaches of the globe.

Hailey completed an HBSc in Biology at Lakehead University (including semesters in Singapore and South Korea). Igniting a strong desire to experience new cultures and marine ecosystems, she subsequently earned an MSc in Marine Sciences at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, where she researched the impact of marine invasive species in the Red Sea.

Hailey began as a scientific diver in the Canadian Maritimes and Belize (researching sustainable fisheries and aquaculture) and as a graduate student in the Red Sea. More recently, she has worked with the National Park Service and Our World Underwater Scholarship Society (conducting underwater natural/cultural resource monitoring across the US), and now, as an Aquatic Science Technician with Fisheries and Oceans Canada on beautiful Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

As a Naturalist and Expedition Diver, Hailey looks forward to sharing some of her favorite places with all those onboard, igniting a similar fascination with our often out-of-sight Blue Planet and sharing the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to continue to explore and advocate for our oceans.