Cristina Zenato ‘s life is an odyssey shrouded in mysteries and wonders of the underwater world. Born and raised in the vibrant African jungle, she found her true home beneath the crystal-clear waters of the Bahamas, where her journey as a diver, explorer, and ocean advocate began. Over more than twenty-five years, Cristina has delved deep into the culture of sharks, establishing a unique and intimate connection with these majestic sea dwellers. Her gentle touch even induces the most feared sharks into a state of tranquility, challenging preconceived notions and promoting understanding and conservation of these fascinating creatures. As an instructor and passionate explorer, Cristina continues to lead expeditions, map underwater caves, and promote education and research about the seas and oceans she loves so dearly. Her tireless work and dedication to environmental causes make her an inspiring voice and a driving force in protecting the submerged treasures of our planet.
How did your childhood in the African rainforest influence your passion for the outdoors and wild nature?
My childhood in the rainforest and outdoors influenced my passion for it. The big lesson I learned is not about passion, but about learning to coexist with nature, understanding how each animal operates and behaves accordingly to avoid unpleasant encounters, without the need to remove everything considered “dangerous” by human standards for a false sense of security. As children, we had rules to follow when wandering and playing.
What motivated you to move to the Bahamas and dedicate yourself to diving?
Diving is what brought me here; diving is what kept me here. It was my childhood dream to become an underwater guardian who had sharks as friends, and when I came to the Bahamas to certify and realized that diving was a career and that I would be diving with sharks daily, I made a choice in less than a week and never looked back.
How did you develop the unique ability to interact with and induce a state of relaxation in Caribbean reef sharks?
Time; relationships are built over time spent together, trying to understand each other and giving each other the necessary space to feel comfortable. That’s what I did with the sharks, spent time, a lot of time, and slowly built a relationship. In fact, not all sharks relax in my lap, but only a few selected ones, they are all different, with different personalities and attitudes, and I establish that connection with those who feel comfortable with it.
How have your interactions with sharks impacted public perception of these animals?
They have changed the way people view sharks; they open conversations, questions. People began to see sharks for what they really are, living, thinking, sensitive beings, and this has improved the ways they want to protect them and their environment. I have received messages from people who are now involved in shark conservation and research, who previously did not understand them and now are part of the solution. Through my interactions, I have been invited to critical shark fishing and finning areas to help support conservation campaigns, showing a unique aspect of these extremely misunderstood and maligned animals.
Your dedication to cave exploration and conservation is remarkable. What motivates you in this aspect of diving?
I fell in love with cave diving during my first cave tour. Everything about caves is fascinating. It’s a world where time does not pass, well, not in the traditional sense. Without light, the cave seems to always be the same (although in cave time, which is much longer than human life, it changes a lot.) There is peace and tranquility. For me, caves are like opening a giant book about the planet’s history. They tell us stories of what was, what is happening, and what will be. Additionally, as a cave explorer, I can visit places where no other person has been before, there’s a sense of curiosity, challenge, and satisfaction in discovery. And then there’s the beauty of caves, formations, colors, crystals, clay banks, to name a few, all form these incredible landscapes through which I glide as if in space.
Could you share a challenging or unforgettable moment during one of your cave explorations?
I have many unforgettable moments; as a cave explorer, I’ve managed to extend lines in tunnels that others had lost; to date, I’ve been able to connect two main entrances of the same system that many explorers before me considered impossible; together with my husband, Kewin Lorenzen, in 2020 we discovered two new complete cave systems, where no one had ever been, and we explored and mapped over 15 miles of tunnels. These moments, in the silence of my rebreather, listening to the line reel unwinding in my hand, searching with my light for the next direction to take, reading the cave, finding the point in the darkness that leads to more darkness (meaning void instead of a wall and, as such, is a sign of the cave continuing) are invaluable, some of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever experienced.
How does your work contribute to scientific research and the conservation of sharks and cave ecosystems?
I provide data on both levels that are then used to drive legislation to protect both environments. To date, my achievements have played a key role in declaring shark sanctuaries in the Bahamas, where I live and work, and in extending two Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) over two important cave systems. I am the eyes, ears, and hands of those who know how to enact laws. I provide empirical data on how everything is vitally interconnected; I collaborate with different specialized professors to collect a wider variety of information to be used for a better understanding of these places and their correlation with each other, the ecosystems they’re in, and ultimately, us. Some of the tools we use are: recording individuals’ presence and behavior at a given location, tracking individuals to observe which environment they use for reproduction and nursery, surveying caves through traditional and interactive maps, monitoring water content, flow, intensity over the years, 3D photogrammetry images of key findings.
Tell us about the “People of the Water” foundation and its conservation and education initiatives.
People of the Water was founded to change people’s relationship with our aquatic world through exploration, education, and conservation. I live by these three words. I believe in life, we are all explorers by nature. We need to explore the unknown but also the known. When I started working with sharks, the “known” had a vast discrepancy with what I was observing, and I decided to explore the “known” to change it for a better understanding of sharks. As we explore, it’s our duty to educate ourselves about the world around us, so we can educate others; only then can conservation arise, once we have learned and understood, we can love the world we have discovered and, through that, share it with others to expand love and care.
A big part of my contribution, or as they call it, giving back, is not just providing data for expanded conservation, but hosting young people and training them locally at no cost to allow understanding and education and help them in their careers in marine sciences, conservation, exploration. People of the Water expands our reach thanks to the donations we receive.
What message would you like to convey to the general public about the importance of marine conservation?
“Water flows through all aspects of our lives. Following this flow makes us realize that everything is so vitally interconnected.” is the quote I use to convey what my mission in life is. Without drinking water, we cannot survive for more than three days, the marine world regulates the climate of this incredible planet we’re on; no matter where we live, we are connected to what is water and our survival depends on the ocean’s health. If anyone feels it’s not relevant to them, I would say being environmentally conscious is not a matter of saving the planet, the planet will continue without us, as it did before through 5 mass extinctions, it’s a matter of saving our species.
The other message I want to convey, which I also do through the daily actions of my work, is that “a small action is better than no big action” and that we all have the power, as individuals, to initiate the change we want to see in the world.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges and opportunities for marine conservation in the future?
The biggest challenge is the enforcement of any established laws to protect it. With the prevailing “out of sight, out of mind” situation and with a general disconnect between people and the underwater world, it’s hard to convey these pending issues. The opportunities we have now are achieved through media that didn’t even exist ten years ago, from live broadcasts from the seabed, to citizen science, to outreach through our platforms and social media. I believe it’s an exciting time to turn “out of sight, out of mind” into knowledge and understanding.
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