Cristina Zenato Instagram – Shark!
There is no other loaded word in our vocabulary as this word.
In many, it triggers a deep sense of fear, regardless of their lack of experience with these creatures, never having seen one, never even, at times, ventured into the ocean.
In others, especially those who have come in contact with them, it triggers smiles, admiration, wonder, and a deep desire to share the reality about these creatures with others.
Regardless of the reaction, what about sharks obsesses us so much?
I believe it’s because they are still capable of triggering in us the response our ancestors had towards the wild world; they are the undisputed masters of their domain, the same domain we cannot conquer unless we use many tools and technology.
We can conquer all other landscapes on land but in the ocean? We are useless. We can’t see, breathe, or swim at comparable capacity, and our thermal regulation fails even in the warmest oceans. We cannot take a breath and huddle under a coral head until it’s safer to move. And then comes the idea of the shark, as always (and incorrectly) the top predator, ready to take a chance on us at every movement.
Fear is caused mainly by what we don’t know and understand; I have seen fear in others for sharks, but deep down, there is another fear rooted in it. It is a fear that comes from within, with ourselves doubting our capabilities and roles in life. It is a fear of trying something beyond the parameters we have been told are safe.
Sharks swim untouched in the vastness of the oceans, and in a way, we dream of being able to swim freely in the vastity of our lives, so we admire them, or we despise them for being themselves, with no covers, no excuses.
Image taken at Tiger Beach during our recent liveaboard expedition with @kewinlorenzen
@isotta_underwater_housings @waterproofinternational @scubapro | Posted on 09/Dec/2023 18:24:03
