Cristina Zenato – Shark Professional, Cave Explorer and Conservationist
On today’s episode I chat with one of the most influential women underwater. Italian born Cristina Zenato traveled to the Bahamas to take a beginner diving class, and that’s where she fell in love with diving and with the Bahamas. Eventually Cristina became a dive pro. Her credentials include PADI Course Director, NSS-CDS Full Cave Instructor, and TDI Extended Range and Advanced Nitrox with Decompression Procedures Instructor. This helps her explore the many cave systems in the Bahamas – yes there are cave systems in the Bahamas! She even speaks five languages.
But what Cristina is most noted for is her expertise with handling Caribbean Reef Sharks on special shark dives in the Bahamas. She has a special way with sharks, a gift, whereby sharks are so comfortable with her they literally come lay in her lap. Due to this intimacy she has been able to study sharks and assist other researchers in studying shark behavior. And this closeness has even allowed her to remove fishing hooks from their jaws. No wonder Cristina has been inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame and the Explorers Club, as well as being a recipient of the Platinum Pro 5000 Award.
Items In This Podcast
- Taking scuba classes on vacation in the Bahamas
- Worked at a Bahamian resort just to scuba dive
- 800 logged dives per year
- From a love of diving to a love of protecting
- Cristina’s mentor “Uncle Ben” Rose
- Bahamian cave and cavern systems
- Bahamas National Trust 2020
- Shark handling with Caribbean Reef Sharks
- Why she is able to remove hooks from Caribbean Reef Sharks
- Octopus giving birth
- Favorite diving locations
- Tips for divers
- Speaking at DC Dive Show and Beneath The Sea
- Her courses
- New not-for-profit – People of The Water
Resources
10 Mistakes Divers Make and How to Prevent Them
Sponsor
Special thanks to our episode sponsor Aggressor Fleet
Thanks for Listening!
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