Cristina Zenato

Cristina has dedicated a life time to exploration, education and conservation.

A recognized diving professional for the last twenty-five years, Cristina shares her knowledge about the oceans, sharks, caves and scuba diving.

Cristina is a proud member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame, The Explorers Club, the Ocean Artists Society and a Platinum Pro5000 recipient.  The belief that fuels her work is that “knowledge is power and through knowledge we can conquer and defeat unfounded fear to better connect to our oceans and our environment and strive to live in a mutual benefit”. Cristina is an active supporter of OWUSS scholars, the WDHOF scholarships and training grants and an active volunteer and diver for the Bahamas National Trust.

Sharks

Cristina has been diving with sharks for the last twenty-five years. Her day to day work is with the Caribbean Reef Sharks in the Bahamas, but she has traveled the world, worked with and experienced twelve different species of sharks. Her field knowledge about sharks has been utilized by scientists, filmmakers and people interested in learning about sharks, the world they live in and how to protect them.

Caves & Technical

The caves and their exploration can be compared to outer space exploration. They are as remote and as unforgiving as the dark universe, they present dangerous obstacles but incredible rewards. Cristina has been in caves and underground passages where no other man has ever been before. Her extensive work includes exploration of new systems, the connection between systems never achieved before, survey, consulting work to protect specific areas, support of the Bahamas National Trust through her volunteer work and participating in National Geographic Expeditions.

Courses

Cristina’s belief is that to teach a course in a certain field she has to dive that field at a personal interest level. Her courses cover a wide spectrum but when you book a course with Cristina, you can be sure that she has been investing a lot of personal time and experience. 

Cristina is specialized in shark handling courses; she is a very active cave explorer and uses her personal cave diving and exploration experience to infuse her cave/technical diving training. At the professional level, Cristina strives to teach the Dive Masters and Instructors practical application of their knowledge and skills.

Her attention to details, desire to custom design the course to the student’s needs provides a tailored experience at the highest level.  

“Cristina Zenato is a dedicated conservationist, a passion driven by her love of all creatures, above and below the surface. Her water skills lead her to great comfort in what other might consider hazardous marine environments, whether it is doing deep cave penetrations or working with sharks. She has a deep sense of collaboration, and has contributed her presence to a large number of wonderful still photos and videos by many of the best known names in underwater imaging. When I think of Cristina, I think of the shark resting in her lap like a puppy dog, pure joy in her eyes, and a laugh through her regulator resonating through the water column.”

Stephen Frink

“With her gentle soul and passion for educating others, Cristina Zenato shares that sharks are often missunderstood. Through her mission she empowers people to embrace and move beyond fear to realize their full potential”

Jill Heinerth

“In my eyes Cristina is an animal person with an ocean soul. You can see that part of her persona in everything she does. I first learned about Cristina from her groundbreaking work with sharks. But as much of a shark whisperer as Cristina is, her relationship with wild life and wild places doesn’t stop there. The fact is, when it comes to the oceans and wildlife of any kind, Cristina “gets it” She sees the magic in nature, and she loves to share that magic with others. If you look at Cristina’s resume, it is obvious that she has accomplished a lot. But to Cristina what she does is not about her, it is about the animals and places that cannot speak for themselves in the public forum. She is an educator, conservationist, truth seeker, and fighter for good and for what’s right. I have heard a number of people say that Cristina is a wonderful role model for young women. I certainly won’t refute that. But I don’t think her influence is limited to one gender. I think Cristina is a wonderful role model for all of us, and I am proud to call her my friend”

Marty Snyderman

Featured Video

Cristina Zenato connects two caves in Sweeting’s Key, completing the work that Rob Palmer left unfinished 30 years before.

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