PADI recently announced the three winners of their PADI 4 Marine Animals Contest.
The contest started in November last year in response to the PADI 4 Pillars of Change Campaign, which urged divers to become a force for good when interacting with the marine environment, and not just be neutral towards it.
First place went to Claire Jackson, who scooped up a set of TUSA Hyflex Switch Fins, as well as a PADI eLearning voucher. Jackson’s entry emphasised her fascination with the humble sea cucumber and the important role it plays in the ecosystem. She said:
“I met a cute little creature you know as a sea cucumber!!! I know, people don’t get as excited for these little ones as they do for turtles & sea horses but let me tell you I was in heaven!”
Second place went to Angela Stebbins, who grabbed a Tusa Tina Mask as her prize, and a PADI SWAG bag. Stebbins’ entry was focused on dolphins especially JoJo, who was orphaned in a boating accident in Turks and Caicos, and who gave her an amazing experience when he spent an hour swimming with her. Stebbins stated:
“I was approached by JoJo when snorkelling and he swam with me for over an hour, seemingly playing hide and seek under our boat! What a blessing!”
Third place fell to Sharene Collett, who bagged a PADI SWAG bag as her prize. Collett shared her passion and fascination for sharks, and how she got to fulfill one of her great ambitions by scuba diving with sharks.
“To dive with sharks has been my lifelong dream, to swim alongside them and to watch them is amazing. Their size, their strength, their gracefulness, their power is such an adrenaline rush.”
You can read the Full PADI Blog Post Here, or check out the below video by third-placed Sharene Collett.
