In 1996, a female diver was diving when she saw a large hook hanging from the tooth of a shark and helped it remove it.
(Source: No Fear of Danger!) A foreign diver helped a shark take out 300 hooks from its mouth and was unharmed, 2020-08-26 ——Beijing News)
In the clear blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, a blonde woman interacts with a large group of sharks.
She stroked the shark's nose as if to soothe a large pet. The woman who is so close to sharks is Cristina Zenato, known as the "Shark Whisperer".
Zenato's life trajectory is quite unique. She was born in Italy, but spent her childhood in Africa. In the dense jungles of Africa, it is common to see lions, elephants and other wild animals.
These early encounters with nature laid a solid foundation for her later connections with sharks.
Perhaps it was this innate love of nature that led the 22-year-old Zenato to the other side of the globe – the Bahamas in the Caribbean.
When he first arrived in the Bahamas, Zenato's goal was simple: learn to dive and explore the underwater world.
And fate arranged an unexpected encounter for her. During one of her dives, when she turned around, she suddenly found herself surrounded by three sharks of huge size.
At that moment, fear and curiosity intertwined in her heart. But surprisingly, these creatures, which are considered ferocious predators, do not show aggression and instead swim around her curiously.
This chance encounter completely changed the trajectory of Zenato's life. She began to come into frequent contact with sharks and gradually became familiar with their habits.
Over time, Zenato discovers that she seems to possess a special talent – her ability to easily bond with sharks.
In her eyes, these predators, who are considered by many to be fearsome of the sea's predators, are actually like big cats in the sea, both majestic and full of charm.
Zenato's "shark training" is magical. She found that gently touching the sensitive pores on the shark's nose and mouth could put the shark into a state similar to "hypnosis".
In this state, the sharks become unusually docile, even allowing Zenato, to hang them upside down in the water with their head down and tail up for up to 15 minutes.
This unique skill not only showcased the deep friendship between Zenato and the sharks, but also provided her with the crucial help in rescuing the injured sharks.
As he progressed through his encounter with sharks, Zenato came to realize that these sea creatures were far more intelligent than one might think. Interestingly, more and more sharks seem to be actively seeking her help.
When one shark is successfully hooked from her mouth, other sharks will come to her, as if asking for her help.
Zenato's work provides valuable first-hand information for scientific research. Her observations have helped scientists better understand sharks' social behavior and intelligence levels.
For example, she found that different sharks have different personality traits, with some being dominating and others being shy.
These discoveries have subverted the traditional perception of sharks and opened up new fields for the study of shark behavior.
Zenato wasn't content to just study sharks. She gradually became a staunch shark protector.
During one of her dives, she witnessed a shark suffering from a hook in its mouth. This image touched her deeply, and from then on she began to dedicate herself to rescuing injured sharks.
Over the years, Zenato has taken a large number of fish hooks from the mouths of countless sharks, which she has collected in a large box and become a strong testament to her rescue work.
In order to promote the concept of marine conservation, Zenato's organization "People of the Water" was founded.
This organization is dedicated to marine conservation education, with a special focus on shark conservation. Through this platform, Zenato's message to the public about the importance of shark conservation.
As apex predators of marine ecosystems, sharks play a vital role in maintaining the balance of the oceans, and sadly, about 100 million sharks are killed each year, mainly for shark fins and liver oil.
This large-scale killing seriously threatens the survival of sharks and has a huge negative impact on the entire marine ecosystem.
Zenato's achievements are much more than that. Not only is she an excellent diver and shark expert, she is also fluent in several languages, including Italian, English, German, French, and Spanish.
These multifaceted talents have made her even more influential on the international stage. She is regularly invited to speak at various countries to draw attention to ocean conservation.
Her work has also contributed to the development of responsible shark tourism in the Bahamas, benefiting the local economy and raising awareness of shark conservation and conservation.
She firmly believes that a strong desire to protect these marine creatures can only arise when people truly understand and appreciate them.
Through her story and work, more and more people are becoming interested in marine conservation and participating in the action to protect sharks and marine ecology.
