Women's Dive Day 2019 Thousands dive together in a day of shared adventure & passion for the ocean. Learn More Get to know our PADI AmbassaDivers™ These passionate individuals are committed to changing the world through their role as a PADI Diver or Professional. They elevate diving in their communities and across the planet, inspiring more people to pursue their passions or follow their dreams to explore, protect and experience the underwater world. Young Explorers Young Ocean Explorers Riley goes on fun adventures with her dad and has many incredible stories of encounters with sea creatures including orcas, whales and turtles. Together they aim to get kids around the world over enthused about the beauty and diversity of Earth’s marine life. Jillian Morris With a combined a background in science and media, Jillian educates students around the world about sharks. She is a marine biologist who has filmed and photographed for The Discovery Channel, BBC, National Geographic, and more; and has worked as a researcher and naturalist in Australia, California, the Bahamas, Florida and the Dutch Caribbean. Ernst Van Der Poll Ernst runs his own PADI Dive Center and swimming academy in the town of Las Catalinas, where he teaches ocean stewardship programs, swimming lessons and junior lifeguard programs, along with adaptive diving for people with life-changing injuries. “It is my mission that through passion and education I can ignite the fire in others that will bring about change,” Ernst says. View All AmbassaDivers My PADI Stories My PADI™ brings together stories of the human experience where diving is the foundation for transformation. It is through diving, as Leo Morales believes, "that anyone can realize their best selves. When this happens, we are able to find deeper purpose and help others find theirs." Whether you’re already a diver or on the road to certification, these stories hold the power to inspire us all to explore our passions, find self-fulfillment and build connection to the world around us. Mike Coots — Shark Conservation A professional photographer and influential force in the surf community, Mike is committed to changing people’s perceptions about sharks and lobbying for their protection. Mike realized the best way to save sharks was to get face to face with the same species that took his leg and share that story with others. Through the power of storytelling and his photography, Mike hopes to show people that sharks aren’t the mindless killers portrayed in the media. Jennifer Idol — PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer When Jennifer witnessed the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in July 2010 on a return flight from a dive trip in Tobago, she knew her life would never be the same. Jennifer burned that image into her mind, and by August had created a plan to change people’s perception of their local waters. Over the next five years, she embarked on a dive journey to photograph all 50 states, documenting the fragile and finite nature of the water planet, enlightening others on the watery worlds of our own backyards and fostering a desire to protect them. Zac Araneta — PADI Master Instructor PADI Elite Instructor Scuba Zac has been shaping divers into ocean advocates for the past two decades. Born and raised in the Philippines, he knew at a young age that he wanted to spend his life in the ocean and make his greatest passion his career. Witnessing his students experience their first breaths underwater and seeing firsthand how diving transforms lives, Zac is equally as driven to certify more ambassadors for the ocean as he is to building lifelong friendships with his students, many of whom become PADI Instructors, now instilled with the same passion for teaching as their mentor. Meet: Ernst van der Poll Ernst founded Tawasul, the very first marine-themed, place based experiential learning program in the region. The program engaged more than 2,000 kids from 2002 to 2011, many of whom are studying marine sciences now. He was also appointed personal diving instructor and safety officer for the Crown Prince of Dubai and worked with Palestinian refugees with physical disabilities. He founded ConnectOcean and one of the first all-ability diving programs in Central America, helping people with life changing injuries to enjoy the Ocean through scuba diving. It is my mission that through passion and education I can ignite the fire in others that will bring about change. Earnst van der Poll, PADI Course Director Read More Meet: Pangea Seed Tre' Packard (PADI Divemaster) and Akira Biondo (PADI Rescue Diver) are the founders of PangeaSeed Foundation, an international non-profit organization whose mission is to empower individuals and communities to create meaningful environmental change for oceans through ARTIVISM, EDUCATION, and SCIENCE. Through the organization's pioneering Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans program, they have created over 300 public murals in 14 countries addressing pressing ocean environmental issues. People protect what they love, so by utilizing art and activism as creative tools, we have the opportunity to educate and inspire individuals and communities to become better ocean stewards, and ultimately to help solve the mounting issues affecting our oceans. Tre' Packard, PADI Divemaster Read More Leo's story: Living dive-abled. After losing his leg to cancer in 2008, Leo battled with depression and struggled to find meaning in his life. When a friend introduced him to scuba diving, it reawakened Leo's spirit and gave him reason to live again. Leo challenged himself to develop scuba skills and, with the help of the Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA), Leo worked his way up to become a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor in 2013, just three years after his first dive. Leo is committed to sharing his story in the hopes that others can be inspired to see what is possible and to live a "dive-abled" life. My PADI is how I discovered my new self! Leo Morales, PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor Read More We Are Community. Uniting the World's largest tribe of divers. PADI is committed to unifying divers around the globe who share a passion for adventure and love for the ocean.