Many students begin our program at Orange Coast College with the goal of becoming marine technicians, animal trainers at Sea World, marina or boatyard employees or managers, crew members on private yachts, and other fascinating jobs. Those jobs don't always require a bachelor's degree. Jobs at Sea World and other marine theme parks do require athletic ability, extreme patience, public speaking skills, a love of animals, and, usually, diving experience. Few positions are available, but there is some turnover in the ranks of junior trainers, and being hired is certainly possible. For every highly trained marine scientist there are perhaps five technical assistants who actually do the experiments, maintain the equipment, work daily with organisms, and build special apparatus.
Marine technicians tend to spend more time at hands-on tasks than marine scientists.
Don't quit your job, burn your bridges, leave your family, sell your possessions, and dedicate yourself monk-like to marine science. Do some investigation. Nothing is as valuable as actually going out and talking to people who do things that you'd like to do. Ask them if they enjoy their work. If you decide to continue your education, don't be discouraged by the time it will take.