Mission
Projects
Contact
Donate
Shop
Blog

≡

Mission
Projects
Contact
Donate
Shop
Blog

Get in Touch

Contact Info

Email: peopleofthewaternonprofit@gmail.com

Navigate

Mission
Projects
Exploration
Education
Conservation
Support the Cause
Contact
Blog

Twitter

Instagram

Paper on Oceanic White Tip sharks behavior in feed

Paper on Oceanic White Tip sharks behavior in feeding differences between sexes as well as segregation between males and females, an occurence observed as well in our local Caribbean Reef sharks. A shiver of femal Caribbean Reef swims towards Cristina Zenato as she descends on her usual dive site. Paper link in bio.
#exploration #education #conservation

@kewinlorenzen looks at the amazing effect of his

@kewinlorenzen looks at the amazing effect of his cave light coming through the calcite crystal in Mermaid’s Lair, Grand Bahama Island. These formations known as speleothems are an indication that these caves were once dry. Both fresh and salt water are currently flowing through them, providing drinking water for humans as well as exchange of nutrients for all animals living in the ecosystems related to these caves. Protecting what we don’t see below our feet allows us to protect what is evident around us. A lot of the work that Kewin and @cristinazenato conduct is identifying these locations, marking their presence and provide information to the local authorities for better and safer land developments. #exploration #education #conservation
Image @cristinazenato

We were able to follow @queenconchlab Dr Megan Dav

We were able to follow @queenconchlab Dr Megan Davies for a couple of days of her amazing educational and conservation work on the island of Grand Bahama with the fishers from East End and Sweetings cay. It was the perfect example of how everything is so vitally interconnected. Queen conch are vegetarian and are fundamental in the keeping of the sea grass beds. From the sea grass to the creatures depending on them all the way up the food chain. Such a small creature with so much value to teach us that to protect one we need to protect the whole. #exploration #education #conservation

Words by our founder @cristinazenato #Repost @cr

Words by our founder @cristinazenato

#Repost @cristinazenato with @make_repost
・・・
The most common reply I receive on posts stating that humans are not on the sharks' food list is "USS Indianapolis."
With all the consideration and respect for the lives lost in that tragic day, bringing up The Indianapolis proves my point.
If we consider sharks consuming humans, there is this example people refer to, and it happened 76 years ago! To highlight that event is the perfect exception to the rule. In a previous post, I explained how the sinking of a whole ship with canteen, latrines, and human bodies in all conditions was the reason why sharks were attracted to the scene, to clean up what nature deemed as a mess. It does not prove that sharks are actively targeting and consuming humans regularly. There is a considerable time discrepancy between when sharks appeared on this planet and when humans took to the water; we do not belong to their genetic code for food. To learn more about sharks, their true nature, we should follow positive accounts of actual experiences of people who spend a lot of time in the water with sharks, all different species, and ask questions. We should keep an open mind that we might be wrong about sharks after all. One of my favorite accounts on instagram is @scott_fairchild; out of San Diego he shows daily videos of great whites, perhaps the most feared of sharks with the worst rep, sharing their space with surfers and swimmers.
#exploration #education #conservation
Image of Caribbean Reef sharks, Bahamas. @peopleofthewater @wdhof

Read the following words carefully. "Sharks do and

Read the following words carefully.
"Sharks do and will kill or eat humans depending on the species; depending on the species some are likely to attack and kill or eat humans [...]"
This is one of the numerous daily comments under videos posted by people diving, freediving, swimming or interacting with sharks. I am not posting it to blast the individual who wrote it, but because as a small circle of shark lovers, we need to understand that the majority of the world around us still has this impression of sharks. The fact that there are rare negative encounters does not mean that sharks swim around the oceans in search of humans. In all honesty, if they did, we would not have any kind of water sports. When I read those comments, I realize that it's fear fueled by lack of education and that the two go hand in hand. I always try to address the facts of sharks and humans encounters, rather than the hyped up perceptions we are forced to swollow through selective and incorrect information. I also encourage the person to view the profiles of more people sharing the oceans with sharks and to realize that what we hear about sharks and humans is the exception to the rules, that the majority of moments sharks swim by humans and totally ignore them. Knowledge is indeed power, the power to dismantle fear and create understanding, appreciation and the desire to protect.
#exploration #education #conservation
Image of friend and amazing shark diver Neal Watson Jr taking an image of a beautiful tiger shark swimming between the two of us and ingnoring both. Tiger Beach, Grand Bahama Island with @biminiscubacenter @isotta_underwater_housings @waterproofinternational @diveshearwater @scubapro

During the last year, our founder @cristinazenato

During the last year, our founder @cristinazenato has joined over 200 online presentations and spoken to schools, universities, different groups about #exploration #education and #conservation. Your support of our nonprofit provides the opportunity to expand our educational outreach.

We are so thankful for the amazing support of Nept

Words by @cristinazenato This hook just came out

Words by @cristinazenato
This hook just came out of Vulcan. While I find the circular hooks the hardest to remove, these double and tripe hooks are the most dangerous for my safety. As I remove the hooks using my hands and grabbing one of them, the other two move around and they risk to catch the links in my @neptunic_com maille locking me into the shark. Should the shark make a brusk movement I could either rip part of my maille or, as it has happened before, receive a sharp jerk to my arm and wrist.
They also pose a higher threat to the shark; more than once the second and third hook find another location where to catch, forcing the animal to swim incorrectly and causing futher damages to different areas. The highest danger is to the gill slits.
I hope that by understanding what we leave behind, most of the times without realizing it, will make us change the way we approach marine wild life.
#exploration #education #conservation
@neptunic_com

We are a small but determined organization set to

We are a small but determined organization set to help the environment through Exploration, Education and Conservation.
We believe that to understand we need to explore the unknown but also the known, educate ourselves to educate others to ultimately promote conservation through love and understanding of our world. We connect fields of research and preservation to show the bigger picture and provide more information for protective legislations. We educate locals to assure a different and more sustainable form of income. Your donations help us further our reach. Consider donating today Giving Tuesday, any small amount adds up. Link in bio

Another wonderful reunion; working with @afro_shar

Another wonderful reunion; working with @afro_shark once again was an absolute pleasure and a lot of fun. I trained Stephon through his professional levels, Dive Master and Instructor as well as shark handler (and lover) and watch him grow and become an incredible steward for the oceans, sharks and our profession. It was great to share the ocean and the sharks once again at Tiger Beach yesterday. One more “kid” who has left the nest ❤️ #exploration #education #conservation #payitforward

The only way is to pay it forward. Our founder @cr

The only way is to pay it forward. Our founder @cristinazenato with former student and mentee Shelly Lazarre. Shelly started as an open water diver and during her school years completed her advanced and specialties with rescue trainings. During eight years together, Cristina trained Shelly as a dive master, instructor, specialty instructor, Shark professional, videographer and caver guide. Shelly is now in a leadership role and is a mentor for the younger generations coming behind her. #exploration #education #conservation @wdhof

Your support allows our founder @cristinazenato to

Your support allows our founder @cristinazenato to host students for extensive training. During the last three weeks Cristina worked very closely with Our World Underwater Scholarship Society North American Scholar to teach him sidemount and cave diving as part of his scholarship year. #exploration #education #comservation

How to save the world? Words and Actions from our

How to save the world?
Words and Actions from our team @kewinlorenzen and @cristinazenato #exploration #education #conservation

We are so thankful for the support of @shelbyreef

We are so thankful for the support of @shelbyreef for our work in shark conservation; check out these amazing new products for the coming winter!
#exploration #education #conservation

"I am not your trophy, I am not a toy to play with

"I am not your trophy, I am not a toy to play with putting up a good fishing game for your enterteinment, I am not for display of your perceived win over nature. Quite the opposite, I am a living, breathing, thinking and feeling creature. I have been here way before your time and my interest in you is absolutely insignificant, if I can I avoid your presence, and accept your presence into my world. I am also a vital part of the ocean complex web and as such I am needed. They lied to you about my true nature and they continue to do so. I am part of the reason why ecosystems are healthy, I am the guardian of your health above the water. Remember, what you think that is a win over nature is a loss for everyone involved. Protect me, to protect the oceans, to protect your life"
Message from Vulcan through @cristinazenato
#exploration #educati on #conservation
@isotta_underwater_housings @neptunic_com

We are so excited that our team member @kewinloren

We are so excited that our team member @kewinlorenzen has been elected as the next @waterproofinternational ambassador.
Waterproof has been supporting the work of our founder for nearly a decade and we are honored that they have extended the support to Kewin. Cristina and Kewin continously work and volunteer to explore, research, to provide vital information in the fields of shark, ocean and cave conservation. Read more about Kewin in our link in bio
#exploration #education #conservation

#Repost @cristinazenato, such an important message

#Repost @cristinazenato, such an important message.
・・・
“Killer” “deadly” “massive”
Two lines and yet they managed to include three negative words describing an event that to me appears to be natural and let’s not forget from the headlines themselves “rare”
A dead porpoise shows up with a bite mark. Let’s not forget the “feared to be patrolling”part. Two important facts here. Sharks live in the water and as such move anywhere it reaches. They don’t lurk nor patrol, they just swim and live there. Sad as it may be we don’t have the cause of death; however we know that a shark will scavenge on the dead body of a marine animal, which looks to me as a more plausible event. The same event is also rare, so why demonizing something that is part of nature? Again for the sake if bait click headlines, and not with the intent to report an event. Time to mind the language, educate and dismantle unfounded fears and bogus information, bring back journalism not sensationalism!
With @bite_backsharkconservation Mind Your Language campaign.
#exploration #education #conservation

A lot of our team’s work is not only underwater

A lot of our team’s work is not only underwater but also underground-underwater. Cave diving is a highly skilled, equipment intensive, mentally demanding activity and @cristinazenato and @kewinlorenzen spend countless hours exploring, mapping, understanding the intricate webs of these tunnels to provide vital information about fresh water supply, relationships to other eco-systems and need to protect them from above and below. #exploration #education #conservation
Image of Cristina by Kewin while laying line for a 3D project under the Bahamas National Trust permit

Our team @cristinazenato and @kewinlorenzen joined

Our team @cristinazenato and @kewinlorenzen joined the conch farming project of East End Grand Bahama to learn more about conch, their role in the environment, development , care and conservation needs. A vital component of the Caribbean reef conchs are sustaining incredible pressure from overfishing and being picked before mature age. @queenconchlab together with @bahamajewel and @gailwoon under the partnership of @bahamasnationaltrust and @harborbranch lead a week long workshop with local fishers and stake holders to create pens and educate this staple resource of The Bahamas. #exploration #education #conservation Image @queenconchlab

Don't forget to tune in today for Cristina Zenato

Don't forget to tune in today for Cristina Zenato Underwater Explorer Diving Talks - Portugal 2021 presentation "Shark World"
Due to travel circumstances, Cristina is going to present remotely on panel two. Tune in at 9:00 am EST through this link in bio. The morning will start with Phil Short followed by Cristina's presentation and Jill Heinerth. All three will be avaiable for Q&A at the end of the sessions.
#exploration #education #conservation

Knowledge is power. @cristinazenato writes for DIV

Knowledge is power.
@cristinazenato writes for DIVER magazine about debunking shark myths. Once we understand more, we will fear less.
#exploration #education #conservation
Read it by subscribing with link in bio
Image @kewinlorenzen

We are so grateful for @shelbyreef support. For ev

We are so grateful for @shelbyreef support. For every purchase Shelby Reef donates to three different nonprofits supporting work in shark conservation and education. Head over to their account to view all the beautiful “sharky” items. #exploration #education #conservation

Small actions count; sometimes our team finds an i

Small actions count; sometimes our team finds an incredible amount of the same item while walking the beach. It would interesting to have a database where to log in all the finds and know how to track them based on currents or weather. In this image @cristinazenato found over 40 of these bottles with writings from an eastern culture. Some of the bottles were also all packed inside garbage plastic bags. While it is prohibited to dump plastic, enforcement in international waters is practically inhexistent; still it is still very much a concern how much vessels can dump within certain distances, as if being away from shore won't cause lasting effects to the rest of the ocean, ecosystems and as proved by all the plastic we routinely pick up on the beach, our lives.
#exploration #education #conservation

The dream team is at it again, several hooks remov

The dream team is at it again, several hooks removed from different sharks from our @kewinlorenzen and @cristinazenato
We are so happy when we can make a difference for each of the individuals we spend time with every day. A perfect example of how one person can make the difference in this world. #exploration #education #conservation
As always thank you @neptunic_com for the great support in our work.

Today is International Coastal Cleanup day! Our te

Today is International Coastal Cleanup day! Our team, @cristinazenato and @kewinlorenzen clean up every time they go to the beach making coastal clean up day an every day event. We don't need to go to the beach to clean up our plastic, we can clean up from where we are. The best way to prevent plastic from entering the oceans is to reduce our use of the single use, clean our streets and our roads, rivers and waterways leading to our oceans. The effects of our pollution will reach way further than we have physically been. Ask our two explorers who have found plastic remains in unexplored caves, so deep inside the tunnels and so wedged in that they could not even reach it to pick it up.
#exploration #education #conservation
Image one: Kewin with a load of party balloons from one beach walk. Want to implement one change? Stop the use of party balloons and teach our children to decorate in more sustainable ways.
Image two: Cristina never brings a bag or container to the beach as she knows she will find enough to fill with other pieces
Image 3 Cristina approaches a floating bottle in the depths of a cave system discovered and explored in 2020, one of the many pieces removed by the team during the dives. Image by Kewin

© All content copyright Cristina Zenato. Website by 3deep Media.