Summer is the perfect time for so many fun beach activities! Namely, hitting the beach and getting some much-needed sun after all that time spent in quarantine. Of all the beach activities, though, one is getting some media attention right now. Fishing is a staple of water activity everywhere, but what happens to “the ones that got away”? Well, as it turns out, it isn’t so great.
Cristina is a diver who has a passion for sharks.
Most of us only interact with sharks during Shark Week and are totally fine with that. If we were to see a shadowy gray figure in the watery distance while on a dive, most of us would have a meltdown. For Cristina, though, it is merely a reunion with friends.
Diving with sharks is more than a hobby. For Cristina, it’s a connection.
Going down, deep under the water, is something that few people will ever experience. As she describes, sharks are very tolerant of us entering their domain. Cristina goes way further than just liking sharks. She spends time with them in their environment.
The first time she saw a shark, she knew she wanted to pet it.
Most people have no inclination to pet sharks when they see them in the water! It is now just a part of life for Cristina.
“I wanted to pet a shark from the first moment I saw one. It took a year and some time before the transition between being a diver and then it being a profession and then working with sharks and then finally having a shark in my lap.”
Nowadays, you can find Cristina under the water with her sharp-toothed friends.
Over the years, Cristina has developed a relationship with the sharks that consists of mutual trust and respect. Having a shark in your lap is no small feat, and it takes patience and courage to allow a wild animal to be that close to you!
Since she is so connected with the sharks, she is privileged to do some amazing things.
One day, while out on a dive, Cristina noticed that one of “her” sharks had a hook stuck in its mouth. Bravely, she reached her hand INTO its mouth, grabbed the hook, and removed it. Understandably, the shark quickly swam away, but Cristina was left with a hook in hand.
Soon after the first removal, the shark came back and was totally different.
In an incredible display of intelligence, the shark that Cristina pulled the hook from came back and had a completely different personality! It would sit by her side and nuzzle her hips.
After the first one, more sharks kept coming to have their own hooks removed!
As an unofficial shark dentist now, Cristina 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 survival.
She has collected all the hooks as a reminder of the damage that can be done.
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.
Check out the wild video below!
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