by Diver Cristina Zenato is known for her tireless work with sharks. In fact, after spending more than two decades working with the ultimate marine ᴘʀᴇᴅᴀᴛᴏʀs, she gained a worldwide reputation as the ‘shark whisperer.’ However, her latest video is giving goosebumps to everyone who’s watching it.
The woman can be seen surrounded by a group of sharks in the clear blue waters off the Bahamas. One of the sharks makes its way to the diver as it was asking to be pet. It was Foggy Eye, a shark who normally doesn’t like to be touched. It’s when Cristina realized something could be wrong and when Foggt Eye got closer she spotted the fishing hook inside its mouth.
As sharks swarm all around her and fellow divers, she ꜰᴇᴀʀʟᴇssʟʏ reaches into the ᴘʀᴇᴅᴀᴛᴏʀ’s mouth and pulls the hook out. The ꜰɪᴇʀᴄᴇ fish seems totally at ease with her, and even as she reaches deep into its throat it doesn’t attempt to ʙɪᴛᴇ. Nevertheless, in addition to her wetsuit she is dressed in chainlink body armour.
Ms Zenato was able to put the shark into a trance-like state using a little-known technique of rubbing the ᴀᴍᴘᴜʟʟᴀᴇ of Lorenzini – the name given to hundreds of jelly-filled pores around the creature’s nose and mouth. This causes induces ‘tonic immobility’, where the shark enters a natural state of ᴘᴀʀᴀʟʏsɪs for up to 15 minutes and appears to be asleep in her hands.
As an unofficial shark dentist now, Zenato has removed hundreds of hooks from these animals’ mouths. Because she is so in love and in awe of them, she loves being able to help in whatever way she can. She knows that sharks are essential to the ecosystem and play an integral role in our own balance and sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴀʟ.
A box full of hundreds of old hooks is a powerful image for conservationists. We can all find the beauty and wonder in the world around us… and even below us.
