This is the jaw-dropping moment when a scuba diver manages to grip a
10-foot shark in her palm.
Cristina Zenato, an Italian scuba diver, may be shown doing something that
many people would undoubtedly consider impossible: holding, petting, and
stroking a large sea predator in the enticing Caribbean seas.
The animal feels so safe around her that it goes into a trance, allowing
Ms. Zenato to keep it in the water while holding its snout in her
palm.
And now for my subsequent approach: A Caribbean coral reef shark is
"equilibrated" in Christina Zenato's palm after being coaxed into a
trance-like condition.
She uses a mysterious technique called massaging the ampullae of Lorenzini,
which is the term given to the hundreds of jelly-filled pores that surround
the shark's nose and mouth, to put it into a "tonic" state.
A shark may be shaken into a "restorative" condition, when they are
paralyzed naturally for up to 15 minutes.
The pores act as electroreceptors, identifying targets and shifting the
electromagnetic field around the shark. However, touching the pores also
turns "Jaws" into a sleeping infant.
Ms. Zenato used her skill to put sharks to sleep to instruct other scuba
divers, remove bloodsuckers, and even remove fishing hooks lodged in their
mouths.
She brought a Caribbean Reef shark under control, and digital photographer
Matthew Meier from San Diego, United States, photographed the action.
"My first time to observe Cristina feeding the sharks was stunning," the
42-year-old said. I was expecting an adrenaline rush, but the dive was quite
tranquil.
It was quite relaxing to see the sharks circle us slowly in the hopes of
getting food from Cristina. "Sharks are the apex predator of the ocean, and
it is a benefit to be near them and also study them in their environment," I
thought in admiration, unable to keep a smile off my face.
Smiling for the camera, Ms. Zenato cleans the sharks' mouth and nose of
jelly to induce a condition that is almost similar to sleep.
Despite working with sharks for more than 15 years, Ms. Zenato still
protects herself with a chain link fence in case one of the animals feels
threatened and bites.
Commercial photographer Mr. Meier, who specializes in undersea, wildlife,
and travel photography, declared his intention to increase awareness of
shark conditions.
We kill a lot of sharks every year, and the majority of them have their
fins removed while they're still alive before being dumped back into the sea
to die a slow, painful death.
They would be outraged if this happened to dolphins or any cuddly and
likewise adorable animal.
We must struggle to rescue these amazing creatures because without them the
entire ecosystem would be uprooted and irreversibly damaged. They maintain
the equilibrium in the water.
Tags:
animals