Country of residence: USADiving since: 2012Level/agency of certification: FII Level 2 Natalie Parra is a conservationist and freediver dedicated to inspiring collective action for the ocean. She has worked on the front lines of marine protection, leading impact campaigns for conservation initiatives, legislative action, and, most recently, environmental documentaries, helping turn compelling stories into lasting advocacy and tangible action.  As a Cressi ambassador and avid freediver, Natalie uses her time beneath the surface to document and share the visible impacts...

Country of residence: United KingdomDiving since: 2018Level/agency of certification: PADI IDC Staff instructorEmmy Williams is a PADI IDC Staff Instructor, underwater photographer, and content creator originally from Cornwall, UK, who has spent the past six years teaching diving across four continents. Raised in southern Spain, she has worked as an instructor in Spain, Oman, New Zealand, and Honduras, and has collaborated with PADI, Girls That Scuba, and several dive brands along the way.  Her social media content focuses on the...

Country of residence: ColombiaDiving since: 2016Level/agency of certification: PADI InstructorJose Soto is a Colombian diver, PADI Instructor, nature and underwater photographer, and entrepreneur. He’s the founder and CEO of DivingLife, a company focused on creating diving and nature expeditions around the world. Over time, his passion for diving evolved into a bigger purpose: using photography, storytelling, and travel to help people connect with marine life and understand the importance of protecting our oceans. He’s also the founder of DivingLife Studios,...

Country of residence: United StatesDiving since: 2001Level/agency of certification: PADI DivemasterForrest Galante is a wildlife biologist and television personality who hosted Extinct or Alive and Mysterious Creatures with Forrest Galante on Animal Planet, traveling to some of the world’s most remote locations to search for species thought to be extinct or on the brink of disappearing.  Raised in Zimbabwe on his family's safari operation, he has worked with wildlife since childhood, and that hands-on background shapes everything about how he approaches...

Country of residence: USADiving since: 1997Level/agency of certification: PADI Divemaster; SSI Level 1 FreediverWilliam Drumm is a Denver-based underwater photographer, filmmaker, and ocean ambassador whose work reaches a monthly audience of millions. He is the photographer behind the album cover for Billie Eilish's album Hit Me Hard and Soft, the official Citizen Watch Promaster Sea Ambassador, and a long-term visual partner with Scuba Diving International. His fine art prints, brand campaigns, and documentary-style productions have appeared across major media outlets...

Country of residence: USADiving since: 2010Level/agency of certification: PADI Open Water Garrett and Jessica Gee sold everything they owned in 2015 to travel the world full-time with their young family and haven’t looked back. Over the past 11 years, the Bucket List Family has visited 100 countries, built a following of more than 3 million on Instagram and 1.5 million on YouTube, and published a National Geographic family travel guide.  Named “Travel Influencer of the Year” two years running by...

Country of residence: USADiving since: June 2014Level/agency of certification: PADI-MSDT Scuba Instructor United States Marine Corps veteran, Master Scuba Diver Trainer, travel photographer, and Guinness World Record holder Barrington Scott grew up in the Bronx and discovered diving on a trip to the Cayman Islands in 2014. In December 2024, he set the record for the fastest time to scuba dive on all seven continents, completing the feat in 19 days, 19 hours, and 40 minutes.  Beyond setting the record,...

Country of residence: USADiving since: 1998Level/agency of certification: PADI AOW/nitroxDr. Craig O'Connell is a shark biologist, marine conservationist, an award-winning inventor, and television host whose research has taken him all over the world to study sharks and other wildlife. He is the founder of O'Seas Conservation Foundation, a nonprofit that combines cutting-edge shark research with hands-on youth education through the Montauk Shark Lab.  His work focuses on identifying critical shark nursery areas, developing novel shark protection methods, and connecting the next...