«Breaking News» Blue Planet star turns sharks into 'puppies of the sea'

A professional diver revealed how she uses a little known technique to placate sharks so she can remove hooks from their mouths. 

Italian-born Cristina Zenato, 47, who is known as 'the shark dancer' is often filmed on the ocean floor with 8ft sharks playing around her and nestling into her knees. 

The conservationist, who lives on Grand Bahama, has perfected the technique of relaxing the sharks, which is part of her efforts to save them by removing hooks that are caught in their fins. 

She induces the 'tonic' state in the shark using a little-known technique of rubbing the ampullae of Lorenzini - the name given to hundreds of jelly-filled pores around the animal's nose and mouth. 

Cristina Zenato, 47, who is known as 'the shark dancer' is often filmed on the ocean floor with 8ft sharks playing around her and nestling into her knees. She wears a chainmail suit (pictured) to protect herself during dives

The conservationist has perfected the technique of relaxing the sharks, which is part of her efforts to save them by removing hooks that are caught in their fins and in their mouths

A 'tonic' state is where a shark enters a natural state of paralysis, often by being turned upside down, for up to 15 minutes.

The pores act as electroreceptors detecting prey moving in the electromagnetic field around the shark - but also for some reason rubbing them turns 'Jaws' into a sleeping baby. 

This gives Cristina the time she needs to remove the hooks. 

Her relationship with the animals was captured in the first episode of Blue Planet Live, which aired on Monday night. 

The docile nature of the sharks in Cristina's company led some viewers to compare them to 'puppies of the sea'. 

'The first time I put a shark to sleep was my second dive with them,' Cristina told the Daily Mirror. 

'This big female swam straight into my lap.  The most amazing thing was this 8ft shark just swimming into me and resting her head on me.

'This is the first time it happened and I remember feeling her weight into my thighs, I could start feeling her gentle movement as she pumped water through her gills. I started crying into my mask because it was so amazing, so unique.' 

The episode drew comparisons to dogs on Twitter, where some called sharks 'the puppies of the sea'.

While to the untrained eye most sharks look the same, Cristina insists she can recognise them all, and even has names for them including Grandma, Foggy Eye, Scrunchie, and Hook

Cristina has built up a tremendous level of trust with the sharks, and one even allowed her to reach into their mouth in order to remove a fishing hook caught in its throat (pictured)

Cristina, who lives in Grand Bahama, and has been a professional diver for 25 years added: 'I always had a childhood dream of having sharks for friends.

'I thought just being allowed to swim with them would be enough of my dream. But to have one swim up to me and land in my lap to say, "I trust you" that was incredible.'   

While to the untrained eye most sharks look the same, Cristina insists she can recognise them all, and even has names for them including Grandma, Foggy Eye, Scrunchie, and Hook.

Cristina, who wears a chainmail suit for protection, added that she hopes to change the perception of sharks away from being 'eating machines'.     

The episode drew comparisons to dogs on Twitter, where some called sharks 'the puppies of the sea'.

'I want people to understand that sharks are vulnerable. The disconnect between the real world and people's perceptions, it's so enormous.  

She added that she's been accidentally bitten by the sharks after feeding them, but it's no different to her eight stone dog accidentally stepping on her foot and hurting her. 

Over the years Cristina has collected more than 200 hooks that have been caught in sharks, and has built up so much trust she's been able to put her whole arm into a shark's mouth to pull out a hook from its throat.   

Italian-born Cristina has been working as a professional diver since 1994. Over the years she's saved more than 200 hooks that were caught on sharks

Cristinia induces the 'tonic' state in the shark using a little-known technique of rubbing the ampullae of Lorenzini - the name given to hundreds of jelly-filled pores around the animal's nose and mouth

Speaking of the first time Cristina swam with sharks, she said: 'I remember feeling her weight into my thighs, I could start feeling her gentle movement as she pumped water through her gills' 

Christina hopes to moves the perception of sharks away from being 'eating machines' and hopes to change the narrative, so that people understand the animals are vulnerable

Cristina uses her ability to put the sharks in a sleepy state to educate other divers, remove parasites and even take fishing hooks caught in their mouths out

What is tonic immobility?  

Tonic immobility is a natural state of paralysis which animals enter but scientists are not entirely sure why they do it.

Experts think 'animal hypnosis' is related to mating in sharks and is used by other creatures to avoid predators by 'playing dead' and blending in with surroundings.

It can be induced without causing any apparent stress to animals, such as stroking a certain place on a lobster's shell.

Sharks can remain in a tonic state for up to 15 minutes. Some species are 'hypnotised' when they are turned upside down.

Tiger sharks can be put in a tonic state by placing a small amount of pressure on the sides of their snout, much like Caribbean reef sharks.

During tonic immobility, sharks' dorsal fins straighten and both breathing and muscle contractions become more steady and relaxed.

Great white sharks do not enter tonic states as easily as other species, although it an eye witness is said to have seen a female orca holding one upside down to put it in a 'trance' and then kill it.

 

Link hienalouca.com

https://hienalouca.com/2019/03/27/blue-planet-star-turns-sharks-into-puppies-of-the-sea/
Main photo article A professional diver revealed how she uses a little known technique to placate sharks so she can remove hooks from their mouths. 
Italian-born Cristina Zenato, 47, who is known as ‘the shark dancer’ is often filmed on the ocean floor with 8ft sharks playing around her and nestling ...

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