The Diver

 
 
 
 

Vocabulary

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

I love my sharks. And I start seeing them coming in with these hooks. The hook removal started like anything you would start when you love someone. I just wanted to make their lives a little bit better to relieve their pain.

With Foggy Eye one day she showed up and she had one that was actually inside. I opened her jaw and saw the hook.

And then a certain moment I decided to basically stick my hand in — and pulled the hook out.

But then as soon as she came back, she allowed me to pet her . . .

And from that day on, she became a shark that would just show up on a dime. And all of a sudden I’d feel a pressure on my hip. And I would turn around and she’d leaning into me and just stop swimming.

This change of personality from before the hook and after the hook was very much a light bulb moment for me. When I remove the hooks, I feel happy satisfied and relieved.

And then the other thing I noticed is as I start removing hooks from my known sharks, other sharks start showing up with hooks in their mouths.

People ask me, “Do they communicate?”, and I’m like “YES!” They’re very accepting. Sharks in general, in the world, are very tolerant of our presence entering their world.

I wanted to pat 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 being a professional and working with sharks.

And then finally having a shark in my lap.

It’s the understanding that it’s done on the shark’s terms not on mine, because every time a shark does that I do realize what a privilege it is.

This is a wild animal and she’s given me full trust. It’s a complete abandonment, saying well in this moment I trust you you’re not going to hurt me.

It is something to be absolutely in awe of no matter how many times it happens.

What I developed is an appreciation for their vulnerability. I’ve dedicated a lifetime 26 years, and 25 of those have been spent in the water with sharks.

We may still be a little bit afraid of sharks — but we need sharks; the sharks are vital for balancing the ecosystems, and this planet survives on the balance of the oceans.

They have been affected by our fishing, by our coastal destruction, by our pollution.

This is the box of hooks that I’ve removed through the years: over 300.

I think sharks are absolutely beautiful. I love how they seamlessly swim through the water.

Like my parents taught me, “There are no monsters in the sea only the one we make up in our heads.”

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Questions

Hammerhead Shark. Cristina Zenato is an office manager who is terrified (afraid, scared) of sharks. True or false?

Dolphin, Porpoise, Whale. Does Cristina scuba dive in the ocean with only one shark?

Seal, Walrus. She became friends with Foggy Eye and other sharks by feeding them bread. Is this right or wrong?

Eel, Electric Eel. Can sharks “talk” to each other?

Turtle, Tortoise. In the video, do the sharks behave like pet dogs and cats towards Cristina?

Sting Ray, Manta Ray. Are sharks good, bad, both or neither for the ocean environment? Are sharks important for the marine ecosystem?

Sardine, Herring, Anchovy. Is fishing popular in the ocean? Do many people go fishing there?

Carp, Catfish. Does Cristina love sharks? Does she like fishing?

 
 
 
Bass, Trout, Pike, Perch. I have seen a shark. Yes or no? Are there sharks in your country? Do sharks live in waters off your country?

Marlin, Swordfish. I go scuba diving or snorkeling. I have snorkeled or gone scuba diving.

Crab, Shrimp, Lobster, Crayfish. What do people think of sharks?

Octopus, Squid. What might happen in the future?

Clams, Oysters, Mussels. What could or should people and governments do?