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Email: peopleofthewaternonprofit@gmail.com

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If you traveled to The Bahamas many of the local p

If you traveled to The Bahamas many of the local people would be able to direct you to the majority of the ocean blue holes and at times some of the inland holes. But if you asked them what's below and where do they go, they would not have an answer. Although people know where the entrances are, very few if almost no one really knows where the connecting caves go. As we discussed before the water inside these caves travels and can transfer nutrients as well as pollutants from one area to the other; knowing exactly where each passageway is compared with the land above is vital to understand the ramifications of a possible development or even worse digging through the coastline to create a marina.
In 2020, our volunteer team has completed 100,000 feet of surveys from different systems and created linear maps, to which they added another 20,000 feet of interactive maps. To create these maps they have to swim every single line in the cave, running it along with a unique and very useful tool known as Mnemo, which associated with the software from @arianesline helps to survey and to create maps at a faster rate than with the traditional method.
The time, effort, and costs associated with this work are very high. Each member is a full cave diver, or higher rating, using advanced technology and gear to safely enter and exit these caves and they are always at the edge of learning new skills and applying new techniques. Your support of our nonprofit helps us further their work by assisting with tools and technology.
Link in bio
#exploration #education #conservation
Image of @kewinlorenzen using Mnemo by @cristinazenato with @isotta_underwater_housings @waterproofinternational @kissrebreathers @lightmonkeyofficial @diveshearwater @diverite84 @fourthelementdive @scubapro

This is why we love science and being involved wit

This is why we love science and being involved with it

#repost @kewinlorenzen
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The concept of life presence in a cave is somewhat different than the one we usually encounter in a body of water, fresh or salt. The unique critters in the caves live in eternal darkness, and at times in hypoxic environments (very low or no oxygen) with small food sources, therefore they have a very slow metabolic rate. But life doesn't just consist of critters. In Niflheim the entire ceiling is alive. It's covered in a thick layer of microbial growth. A bacteria that thrives in this very harsh environment.

Image: @cristinazenato with @isotta_underwater_housings

#cavediving #sidemount #rebreather #nature #adventure #blueholes #bahamas #exploration #caveexploration #conservation #caveconservation @kissrebreathers @fourthelementdive @waterproofinternational @diverite84 @lightmonkeyofficial @diveshearwater

In our next blog, @cristinazenato highlights some

In our next blog, @cristinazenato highlights some of the issues we have created in our society through the manipulation of nature and the creation of standards that only apply to a beauty dictated by humans: What does condominium have to do with conservation.
#exploration #education #conservation
Link in bio

Our work would not be possible with your support a

Our work would not be possible with your support and the support of these amazing brands who believe in our mission of #exploration #education and #conservation.
Thank you @neptunic_com for the creation of the CZ shirt, @shelbyreef for the donation through the sales of all your products, @animal.stone for supporting our organization through Bahamas The Shark, and Ohana the Mermaid Pendant, and @delanecooper for supporting our education program through Thrive the Five pendant.
Check each image for the link to the pages and thank you again to everyone. A special thank you to our team @kewinlorenzen and @cristinazenato for their tireless fieldwork.

"Another door opens" a podcast with Stephanie Hima

"Another door opens" a podcast with Stephanie Himango. Listen to Cristina speak about her work, but also her view on being part of the change, of living outside the box, and how to deal with the different pressures society puts on us as individuals.
#exploration #education #conservation
Link to listen to the podcast in bio

The first test of the installation of the cave pea

The first test of the installation of the cave pearls went great. We have data back and we are happy to announce that after only five weeks there is a lot of information to read about this cave. We are now ready to install them again for the long term and deploy three more in three different location on the island. These pressure and flow stations together with a climate station will give data about the regular and exceptional events, like an hurricane, and provide details on water movement for pollution control, development plans and conservation of specific areas.

#repost @kewinlorenzen
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Another great dive in Svartalfheim. It's been a little over a month since @cristinazenato and I installed the flowmeters, known as Cave Pearls. It's time to analyse the data to make sure we installed them in a good place. I also took the opportunity to dump another reel.

#cavediving #sidemount #rebreather #nature #adventure #blueholes #bahamas #exploration #caveexploration #conservation #caveconservation @kissrebreathers @fourthelementdive @waterproofinternational @diverite84 @lightmonkeyofficial @diveshearwater

We are a very small nonprofit, fueled by the suppo

We are a very small nonprofit, fueled by the support of some amazing friends for our legal and accounting side and the fieldwork and financial support of our two team members: @kewinlorenzen and @cristinazenato. In the last two years, they have tackled a series of projects and brought to completion the full survey of two complex cave systems while putting on the map of Grand Bahama island another 12 different openings, either blue holes, inland caves, or possible caves, discovered, explored and mapped two new cave systems (exploration still in process) and at the same time completed the filming, photography, and measuring of all the sharks present on in the local area. In their "downtime", they have covered over 200 zoom presentations and participated in different podcasts educating about sharks, caves, water, ecosystems, and conservation. They are tirelessly tackling new projects, including the installation of flow meters, Cave Pearls, through Dr. Patricia Beddows and are working on the next research project regarding sharks for summer 2021. Not to mention the hours spent at the desk transcribing data, cataloging images and information.
Any small support of our organization helps to fuel more of their work and their goal in #exploration, #education and #conservation
Link in bio

We do not leave any rock unturned! Our team is det

We do not leave any rock unturned! Our team is determined to locate and investigate any possible opening that might lead to a caves below the island of Grand Bahama, for now, with the hope to expand to different islands. This cafe, which we names Annie’s cave after the owner who kindly let @cristinazenato and @kewinlorenzen on her property to check the area, did not provide any significant results.
#exploration #education #conservation

#repost @diveinpod ・・・ Episode 37 of Dive In

#repost @diveinpod
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Episode 37 of Dive In the Podcast... Cristina Zenato is a PADI Course Director, NSS-CDS Advanced Cave Diving Instructor, TDI Technical Instructor, and specializes in shark diving and shark behaviour. She's well known for her work with Caribbean Reef Sharks in The Bahamas and initiated the movement that led to the full protection of sharks in The Bahamas. Along with making great strides in cave exploration. She's a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame, The Explorers Club, the Ocean Arts Society and a recipient of the SSI Platinum Pro 5000.
@cristinazenato
@peopleofthewater
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#podcast #diveshop #divetips #novascotia #halifax #canada #scuba #scubadiving #techdiving #freediving #diving #divers #onasinglebreath #girlsthatfreedive #girlsthatscuba #zerowaste #underwaterphotography #community #ocean #saltlife #underwater #blueplanet #protectwhatyoulove #seawolves #seafoxes #halifaxfreedivingclub #eastcoastlifestyle

Science states that no data is still data. Citrus

Science states that no data is still data. Citrus Farm is one of those places our team has explored as part of our extensive project.
We were aware of this area as a possible cave entrance as we heard through the history lines that it was the freshwater reservoirs supplying a citrus farm. Cristina had approached it in 2008 without good results, but we wanted to verify the initial results. We are committed to checking and, if necessary, re-check all the fields to collect comprehensive and updated information about any cave or possible entrance that might lead to a cave.
This commitment includes listing those areas that have been explored and didn’t yield results.
To reach the area, it takes some work as the vegetation is heavily overgrown. There are no signs of citrus plants, but the whole irrigation system scattered across a vast area is a good indication of the presence of a former plantation. The plants are currently all wild pepper plants, considered unsafe for human consumption. The team had to complete the final approach to the hole on foot; after several attempts, they found the chance to drive as close as 300 yards away. The last part remains a hike. The open water portion has two easy entry and exit areas, while the rest of the walls are steep and several feet above the water level. The water is dark, with a marked presence of hydrogen sulfide. Organic materials, blood worms, and orange microbial growth cover the center of the hole. In two different areas, the walls carve inwards, showing the presence of ancient flowstone and speleothems now covered in limestone. Upon further inspection, the cave bell didn’t lead to further tunnels. The team placed a line at about 30ft to explore the entire perimeter of the opening. It also attempted to descend but aborted the penetration through the thick hydrogen sulfide for safety concerns. Hurricane Dorian severely flooded and damaged the area around Citrus Farm. The access road is currently still inaccessible, and considerable additional work is required to clear the path once again. The team is planning to return to the hole for one final review once the summer weather and local thunderstorms decline.

The work to protect sharks never ends and it doesn

The work to protect sharks never ends and it doesn’t stop at the animals, we need to protect where they live, what they eat and where they reproduce.

Cute
#repost @cristinazenato
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Look at that cute face, how can you not fall in love with it?
I absolutely adore this view as I descend to the site; I find sharks beautiful. We still have to learn so much about them and their world, I hope they will be here long enough for us to understand their value and their importance.
Image of Hook, female Caribbean Reef shark with @isotta_underwater_housings
#exploration #education #conservation @neptunic_com @scubapro @waterproofinternational @diveshearwater

We want to thank everyone who has been supporting

We want to thank everyone who has been supporting our work through donations or purchases. We are grateful to our two team members @cristinazenato and @kewinlorenzen for the tireless work they conduct on the field in #exploration #education and #conservation and we hope to continue and expand our mission. Thank you to those companies that support us through proceeds coming from their sales
@shelbyreef @neptunic_com @animal.stone @delanecooper and those supporting our field work @kissrebreathers @diveshearwater @waterproofinternational @scubapro @fourthelementdive @lightmonkeyofficial @arianesline @scubajets @isotta_underwater_housings @paralenz
Every little bit helps in future thing our reach and expanding our results.
Image of Cristina working with Caribbean reef sharks by Kewin.

Another project completed by our team @kewinlorenz

What is the relationship between protecting sharks

What is the relationship between protecting sharks and protecting caves? How is the work of our team connecting these two different worlds?
@cristinazenato shares a brief overview of why to protect sharks we need to protect caves and vice-versa in our most recent blog. Link in bio.
With @kewinlorenzen
The work of our team is helped by your donations. Both our team members have been dedicating countless hours to these projects and are thankful for your support.
#exploration #education #conservation
@ourislandsourfuture

People of the water diving team @cristinazenato an

People of the water diving team @cristinazenato and @kewinlorenzen aron a mission to locate and map as many caves and blue holes on Grand Bahama and other Bahamian islands as to create a viable source of information for landowners and governmental entities. Yet, it is very hard to always put to words all the work that our team is completing so we have decided to post every day about the different projects they have already completed and the ones we are still working on. Please note we won't be able to disclose all the locations of the caves we have been working in to safeguard them.

The Anaconda Swamp
This is currently a completed project from an exploration and mapping point of view. Additional trips are in the plans to collect additional images and possible collection for the identification of unique cave fauna. The hike to the hole is long and laborious with up to three km of walking to carry all the gear from the car to the different stations. A knee-deep water area marks the final 200 meters walk to the hole itself. This cave is located in an undisclosed part of the island for safety reasons. The surface area is salty and the water is brown due to a high level of tannic acid. At about 25ft/9m there is a thick layer of hydrogen sulfide which causes darkness immediately below and a drastic change in temperature. While small levels of hydrogen sulfide are tolerable by the human body, divers venturing into this hole need to be aware of the requirements of their ascent stops to avoid stopping in the middle of it and suffer physical consequences. The team found a total of 512ft of the cave tunnels at a maximum depth of 190ft/58m. The cave is coated in microbial growth of different consistency and composition, but it's still pending a full analysis. Part of the ceiling is composed of mangrove built terrain mixed with limestone. During this exploration, the team found fossils of now-extinct crocodiles at various depths. The Museum of Antiquities has already been informed of their presence and location. For more details and information contact us.
#exploration #education #conservation
Images by Cristina:
1. Kewin & microbial growth
2. Kewin deco
3. Croc skull

We are so excited to start this new project with D

We are so excited to start this new project with Dr. Patricia Beddows, @patricia.a.beddows installing flow and pressure meters in the caves in Grand Bahama Island.
This is a long term project to monitor water flow during normal times and exceptional events, to further our knowledge on how the ocean and freshwater interact and how the caves evolve.
It is also an important piece of the puzzle in the bigger picture of understanding how our presence, and pollution can move from one location to another, affecting zones that appear disconnected and distant from each other.
In this image, @kewinlorenzen installs one of the Cave Pearls created by Dr. Beddows and her husband Edward Mallon.
Image by @cristinazenato
#exploration #education #conservation @peopleofthewater @shelbyreef @animal.stone @neptunic_com

This is causing great concerns for the safety of s

This is causing great concerns for the safety of sharks in The Bahamas and the health of all the ecosystems dependent on their presence. We want to bring attention to this upcoming issue and ask you share it, hoping to collect more voices as we will move forward with many others working to stop this request and educate better on the importance of leaving animals to regulate their own eco-systems #exploration #education #conservation @animal.stone @shelbyreef @neptunic_com @cristinazenato @kewinlorenzen

There is so much to learn through our media-based

There is so much to learn through our media-based interaction with our founder Cristina Zenato.
You can set up private classroom sessions as well as a public group speaking through Zoom, Skype, or any other media you are connected with. Cristina covers topics from sharks to caves, exploration, and conservation, and addresses questions on how to overcome fear and follow a career in a maritime field. Since the outbreak of Covid we have completed over 100 of these sessions.
Your donations help us expand the outreach of our programs.
Link in bio
#exploration #education #conservation
@neptunic_com @delanecooper @animal.stone @shelbyreef @cristinazenato

Sharks are protected in the entire Bahamas, but pr

Sharks are protected in the entire Bahamas, but protecting sharks extends beyond the laws that apply to them and it includes protecting their food as well as protecting where they give birth and keep their young. Our 2021 summer project includes satellite tagging some of the local Caribbean Reef to verify where they give birth and where they go to mate. Is it in the same location? Do they use different locations? Where do they go? After 25 years of working daily with these creatures, Cristina Zenato has yet to witness these events.
The satellite tags we want to use, are reusable but come at a cost. We appreciate any support you can donate to our organization to purchase two of these tags. Link in bio
The sharks will be selected based on the log we keep of who was pregnant and who mate during the last season.
Image of Crook presumed pregnant during a dive in June 2020.
#exploration #education #conservation
Image @cristinazenato
You can also support our work by visiting these sites; through the purchase of
@animal.stone @shelbyreef @neptunic_com selected products you support our organization.
Image @cristinazenato

We had three excellent days at @scuba.digital 2020

We had three excellent days at @scuba.digital 2020 online show. @cristinazenato had the opportunity to present our work in #conservation of caves and sharks, our #education outreach and show part of our #exploration.
We loved the show, it presented us with opportunities to connect with different people all over the world. We want to thank the organizers for the hard work, constant presence, and support all throughout the event.
If you wish for Cristina to present for your group, school, club, you can contact us through our link in bio.
@animal.stone @shelbyreef @thediveline

Today is the first day of Scuba.Digital 2020 the a

Today is the first day of Scuba.Digital 2020 the all online scuba dive show.
We are attending; Cristina Zenato will be at the booth and also available for the following sessions:
Friday, October 23rd, 11:00 am EST: Basic good scuba habits
Friday, October 23rd, 2:00 pm EST: Diving with sharks
If you haven't done so yet, you can purchase your tickets for the three-day 24hour per day event with link in bio
#exploration #education #conservation

The next blog “Jaws” is live, link in bio. Wri

The next blog “Jaws” is live, link in bio.
Written by @cristinazenato about the meaning of the word shark and the influence in our culture.
#exploration #education #conservation
@animal.stone @shelbyreef

@neptunic_com is the creator of the shark suits th

@neptunic_com is the creator of the shark suits that Cristina uses for her work with Caribbean Reef sharks and removing hooks from their mouths. They have created a special CZ shirt to support our work in #exploration #education and. #conservation.

#repost @neptunic_com
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A percentage of proceeds from our collaboration tee with @cristinazenato go to @peopleofthewater, a nonprofit organization dedicated to change our relationship with the aquatic world through exploration, education, conservation! 🙌🌊

We are so grateful to @animal.stone for their supp

We are so grateful to @animal.stone for their support.

#repost @animal.stone
・・・
“𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙣” @cristinazenato

Our world is an extension of us. Be still and tune in to learn what that is for you. From there watch your life unfold in mysterious and magical ways!

In support of @cristinazenato and the important conservation work of the team @peopleofthewater 🦈✨🧜‍♀️

We’re honoured to be here and participating with @cristinazenato and @peopleofthewater in our global effort to protect the planet and our wildlife 🌎

The #exploration of Svartalfheim by our team conti

The #exploration of Svartalfheim by our team continues

#repost @cristinazenato
・・・
Oh yes that feeling!
Another double empty reels in Svartalfheim in a 3h.40m dive. Swam to the end of the line at 3,600 feet and put in a whole exploratory reel creating a massive loop back to the original line. I then looped back and continued on a different line which looked promising and didn’t disappoint, I finished the line in a massive opening. After three weeks of cave diving on hold due to car issues, weather (No hiking through the bush with tanks on my shoulders during thunderstorms) we were able to finally go back.
The #exploration continues #education #conservation
@kissrebreathers @waterproofinternational @diveshearwater @lightmonkeyofficial

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