5 Women to Know this PADI Women's Dive Day

Women all over the world are diving head-first into new adventures, and today, we celebrate the ones descending into the silent world beneath the surface. July 20, 2024, marks the tenth anniversary of PADI Women's Dive Day, a holiday established by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors that celebrates female divers, free divers, ocean lovers, and industry pros.

"This year, Women's Dive Day invites more people to take their first breaths underwater and, through continuing diver education, will help nurture more confident and capable divers who can share their love of diving and be stewards for the ocean," says Katie Thompson, Senior Director of Environment & Sustainability, PADI Worldwide. "PADI Dive Instructors, Dive Centers and Resorts all around the world – like Sandals and their incredible team – have made this movement their own, and there are more women of all ages diving today than ever before."

So join us and the following five ocean-minded women and plunge past the waves into a world of colorful corals, sparkling critters, inspiring wildlife, and otherworldly formations that yearn to be discovered and deserve to be protected.

Pier Nirandara: Author, Travel Writer, Film Producer and Underwater Photographer

Pier's love for the ocean began as a child on the coast of Thailand. By age 15, she became the country's first English-language author, writing children's books that would inspire the next generation of ocean lovers. Now, she is a California-based underwater photographer, PADI Ambassadiver™, film producer, and travel writer who uses her images and words to evoke the sense of adventure and curiosity lying within each of us.

Pictured: Pier Nirandara prepares her camera before a dive near Sandals Royal Curaçao.

"The ocean and storytelling are the constant threads throughout my life. Growing up in Thailand gave me a profound respect for coastal communities and their relationship to the sea. There's a massive human element in our relationship to the water—beyond pretty pictures. If we are to save our seas, we must first inspire others to care for our oceans."

Her talent of story telling through her images earned her the 2023 Ocean Storytelling Photography Grant from the Save Our Seas Foundation. As an advocate for solo female travel, she has visited over 100 countries across seven continents including a recent visit to Sandals Royal Curaçao. Pier captured the wall-like structure of Curaçao's unique underwater drop-offs that burst with an array of both soft and hard coral species, experienced a sea turtle encounter, and was greeted by a pod of dolphins all just moments away from the resort's shore.

Shot by Pier Nirandara: Turtle encounter off the coast of Curaçao.

Tiffany Duong: Journalist, Storyteller, and Ocean Advocate

Tiffany is a journalist based in the Florida Keys who, with great courage, left a successful renewable energy law career to pursue her passion for campaigning for our oceans and planet after a life-changing scuba dive.

Pictured: Tiffany Duong exploring a sunken plane in Jamaica.

"Now, as an explorer, storyteller, and speaker, I protect the environments, people, and wildlife most at risk in our modern world and way of life. I tell their stories to catalyze actions on their behalf. Ultimately, I possess a deep and urgent desire to make our world better."

Through her love for the ocean and writing, Tiffany has traveled the world, including the vibrant Caribbean islands of Jamaica and Grenada, where she explored the Caribbean's only underwater sculpture park in Grenada, swam along a pod of wild dolphins off of the coast of Negril, Jamaica, and helped the Sandals Foundation propagate coral fragments, all alongside Sandals Resorts and its PADI Certified Dive Centers.

Shot by Tiffany Duong: A pod of dolphins in Negril, Jamaica.

Angela Jones: Ph.D. Student, Marine Biologist, and PROTEUS Intern

Angela is a Ph.D. student studying starfish in the northeast region of the US. Her fascination with animals propelled her to a degree in biology, and scuba diving has become a fundamental part of her career.

Pictured: Angela Jones moments before diving near Sandals Royal Curaçao.

The marine biologist is also an intern for PROTEUS™ -- the world's most advanced, multi-purpose underwater habitat. The research center will be based in Curaçao and is the reason why Angela traveled to the Dutch Caribbean island to visit the potential site alongside the Sandals Royal Curaçao dive team and the PROTEUS™ science team.

Pictured: Angela Jones exploring the depths of Curaçao's coast.

"There are many ways to enjoy scuba diving. However, if you are interested in joining the science component, explore community or citizen science programs," says Angela. For guests at Sandals Resorts, citizen science programs like coral restoration certifications and invasive lionfish removal courses are available at on-resort PADI-certified dive centers, giving guests the opportunity to make an impact and contribute to the ocean's wellness while on vacation.

Emma Casagrande: Photographer, Shark Diver, and Mother

Emma Casagrande is a talented underwater photographer, fearless shark diver, and mother who has traveled the world with her two children and husband, Andy Casagrande. Her love for travel and the ocean has inspired her to share her adventures with her children and raise the next generation of conservationists.

Pictured: Emma Casagrande helps the Beaches Negril team remove invasive lionfish.

On a recent trip to Beaches Negril, Emma's son celebrated his 10th birthday with a PADI Open Water Certification, while her eight-year-old daughter completed her PADI Seal Team Certification. The family can't wait to return to Beaches and dive together one day soon, seeing the world through its oceans.

Pictured: Emma Casagrande and son Ace Casagrnde before their first dive together in Negril, Jamaica.

Shanissa Nestor: Sandals St. Lucian PADI Certified Dive Instructor

Shanissa is a PADI Certified Dive Instructor at Sandals Grande Saint Lucian. Born and raised on the island, the ocean has always surrounded her life, but now it plays a much bigger role as her career.

Pictured: Shanissa Nestor at Sandals Grande Saint Lucian.

"Scuba diving has changed my life by giving me a career that I don't want to change. It has given me the opportunity to dive around the Caribbean, grow and develop professionally, help build careers for the youth, and even encourage reef and coral conservation," says Shanissa. "Scuba diving means everything to me: the passion, the drive, the education, and the ability to do what I love for a living."

Pictured: Shanissa Nestor preparing her tank for a dive.

Guests can dive with Shanissa at Sandals Grande Saint Lucian through the resort's all-inclusive diving program and even help restore coral reefs at the resort's nearby coral restoration site.

"This event has grown into the most celebrated day of diving on the planet, transforming lives and empowering more people to seek adventure and save the ocean together," says Katie Thompson. Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts invites all guests and scuba divers to explore the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean region. For certified guests, Sandals and Beaches includes scuba diving with state-of-the-art equipment, custom-built Newton Dive boats, and PADI-certified dive instructors and dive masters.

For guests interested in learning to scuba dive, Sandals and Beaches offer Discover Scuba, an intro course to the underwater sport, and a range of scuba certifications, from PADI Open Water to specialties like deep sea diver, underwater photography, and more.