Visual artist and ocean explorer Francesca Page captures the sea’s emotion, rhythm and fragility through bold, multidisciplinary storytelling. Blending science with creativity, her work spans illustration, photography and writing. Each piece Page creates is deeply rooted in reverence for the natural world. Through her vibrant imagery, she invites others to experience the same awe and curiosity that fuel her own ocean adventures.
Page’s creative journey began with a fear of the ocean, transformed into passion the moment she first scuba dived at age 13. That experience reshaped her life, leading her to become a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor and, ultimately, an underwater photographer and conservation artist. Her art celebrates the beauty and complexity of marine ecosystems, especially misunderstood creatures like sharks, while reminding us of our shared responsibility to protect them.
For Page, art is activism — a universal language that inspires connection and change. “I believe art has the power to save this planet,” she says. “I’m deeply passionate about using creativity to help save our blue planet, and I truly believe we’re all artists in our own way. When we tap into that creativity and use it to raise awareness, we can spark real change.”
Her 200 Sharks Project was born from a sobering truth: every 60 seconds, 200 sharks are lost from our oceans. Through a growing series of illustrations, films and stories, Francesca is transforming fear into empathy, revealing sharks as vital, beautiful beings rather than monsters. Reaching audiences around the world, the project celebrates their diversity and resilience while calling for their protection.
New for PADI’s 60th Anniversary: Blue-Ringed Beauty
To celebrate PADI’s 60th anniversary, Francesca has created a brand-new, limited-edition design featuring one of the ocean’s smallest but most striking cephalopods: the blue-ringed octopus.
Like PADI’s other custom 60th-anniversary artist designs, the artwork also contains a hidden “60” waiting to be discovered. Can you spot it? Check out the tentacles in the top right.
The new card joins Francesca’s three original certification card designs — Diving With Sharks, Giant Cuttlefish Migration and Whale Shark — which are still available as PADI eCards.
When PADI asked Francesca to create a new certification card for its 60th anniversary, she knew almost immediately which animal she wanted to feature.
“I love all things cephalopods, and as an artist obsessed with color, shape and pattern, when the PADI team asked me to design one of this year’s PADI certification cards, my mind immediately jumped to the octopus,” Francesca says.
For Francesca, that combination of the small size of the blue-ringed octopus with its power and bold natural color made the animal irresistible to illustrate.
Color also played a major role in the design. Francesca placed the animal’s electric blue rings and yellow body against purple Acropora coral — her favorite type of coral.
“As someone obsessed with color theory, these creatures are a visual dream,” she explains.
Explore Francesca Page’s Other Illustrated PADI eCards
Francesca’s newest 60th-anniversary artwork joins three previous PADI certification card designs inspired by unforgettable marine life encounters and the stories behind them.
Cuttlefish Migration (eCard Only)
Mesmerizing. Dynamic. Alive. The Cuttlefish.
Off the rocky coastline of South Australia, more than 250,000 giant cuttlefish gather each year in a dazzling spectacle of color and life. Page’s illustration captures the full story of this migration, from the fierce courtship displays and their vibrant, ever-shifting skin to the quiet renewal of a new generation. It’s a celebration of transformation, community and the hidden drama unfolding beneath the waves.
Diving With Sharks (eCard Only)
Fearless. Fluid. Unstoppable. Enigmatic Sharks.
Inspired by the raw energy of diving in powerful currents surrounded by swirling schools of sharks, this artwork channels the rush of motion and unity that defines the open ocean. The diver’s steady movement through the chaos is a reminder of what’s possible when curiosity replaces fear — an homage to both human exploration and the wild grace of marine life.
Whale Shark (eCard Only)
Majestic. Celestial. Eternal. The Whale Shark.
Viewed from above, a whale shark glides through the water like a constellation in motion, its glowing patterns echoing the stars scattered across a night sky. In this dreamlike portrayal, Page captures the harmony between sea and cosmos, reminding us that the ocean holds the same mysteries and beauty as the universe itself.
Purchase one of these eCards today, and apply it to any of your existing certifications. Click the button below to buy this card or view our other limited-edition designs.
