Alessia Zecchini, a multiple world freediving champion with 39 world records and 17 world golds, was a guest on Colpo di Coda on Rai Radio2. At the microphones of the program, the athlete recounted the wonder of her encounters in the depths with underwater nature: "The first time I was more or less 8 years old and next to me there was a Caretta caretta turtle, and it was something incredible; then in Sri Lanka I swam with a blue whale and its eye was as big as me, with one fin she went 20/25 meters deep, it was like a dream come true". On the subject of sharks she pointed out, "Let's dispel the myth of the shark as in the movie, dangerous species are few, diving next to others is not as risky as you may imagine, on the contrary. To be able to be next to them you have to be calm, because they are much more afraid than humans, we are much more dangerous". And about the encounter with sea lion cubs in lower California: “I didn't think it was possible. Instead I saw these dozens of little ones playing with us, doing somersaults and flips. An inexplicable experience, but the best thing is that it was done with the utmost respect, the interaction was that right, healthy one”. She added in this regard, "The main problem, as in the case of animals kept in captivity, is the lack of manners of people. These animals are locked up in cages for years, or forever. It's like putting someone in jail who hasn't done anything, it's cruel". And on her efforts against shark finning, she explained, "I signed up against this atrocity and tried to raise as much awareness as possible. To give just a few numbers, consider that 100,000 tons of shark fins are imported worldwide, and 3,500 come from Europe. But the most heinous thing is that the fins are mutilated and the animal is left to die alone in the water".
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