Aggressor Adventures‘ Director of Conservation and Outreach Samantha Whitcraft will be inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame in 2024 in recognition of her efforts to protect and preserve marine environments worldwide.
“I am so deeply honoured and humbled to be counted among the incredible leaders and change-makers in the Women Divers Hall of Fame, many of whom have long been my mentors, role models, and heroes throughout my career. I am and will always be grateful to them for their guidance,” says Whitcraft.
“In conservation, success often requires a team, and I’ve been blessed to work with some of the best including the New England Aquarium, NOAA-Fisheries Early Life History Lab, Shark Savers, Oceanic Society, and now the Sea of Change Foundation.”
Every year, the Women Divers Hall of Fame acknowledges women divers who have made outstanding contributions to the exploration, understanding, safety and enjoyment of our underwater world. The Hall of Fame supports the underwater world and its associated careers by promoting opportunities in diving through grants, scholarships, internships and mentoring, as well as providing a worldwide network of industry contacts. The Women Divers Hall of Fame was founded in 1999.
Samantha Whitcraft is a marine conservation biologist, environmentalist and oceans advocate. Logging 5,000-plus research and educational dives around the world, she created the first classroom-at-sea in Gardens of the Queen National Park, Cuba.
After earning her Bachelor’s in natural science at Harvard and her Master of Marine Affairs & Policy at University of Miami, she worked to legally protect endangered marine species, especially sharks, whales, and manatees.
She has studied coral reef MPAs’ connectivity and investigated the shark fin trade in China, all while promoting sustainable ecotourism over her 30-plus year career.
Whitcraft initiated and developed Aggressor Adventures award-winning sustainability programme, Green the Fleet, and is Executive Director of the Sea of Change Foundation, providing leadership in community-based conservation around the globe.
Aggressor Liveaboards was among the first in the scuba industry to create and maintain a dedicated Director of Conservation and Outreach position.
