Princess of whales: How a naked female scientist tries to tame belugas in the freezing Arctic
Braving sub-zero temperatures, she has thrown caution — and her clothes — to the wind to tame two beluga whales in a unique and controversial experiment.
Natalia Avseenko, 36, was persuaded to strip naked as marine experts believe belugas do not like to be touched by artificial materials such as diving suits.
The skilled Russian diver took the plunge as the water temperature hit minus 1.5 degrees Centigrade.
The beauty of nature: Like a scene from a classic pre-Raphaelite painting, naked Natalia Avseenko swims with beluga whales in the ArcticBelugas are famed for the way in which their faces are able to convey human-like expressions. Certainly Matrena and Nilma seemed to enjoy frolicking with Natalia.
The taming of the whales happened in the Murmansk Oblast region in the far north-west of Russia at the shore of the White Sea near the Arctic Circle branch of the Utrish Dolphinarium.
An area of the sea is enclosed to stop whales and dolphins getting out and instructors tame the mammals before they are transported to dolphinariums around the world — a practice many animal conservationists consider cruel.
Belugas have a small hump on their heads used for echo-location and it was thought that there would be more chance of striking up a rapport with them without clothes as a barrier.
Breathtaking: the scientist uses yoga techniques to hold her breath for up to ten minutes at a time ask she frolics with the whales, Nilma and Matrena
Come on in, the water’s lovely: The whales wait for Natalia to take the plunge, but the sub-zero waters are enough to kill most people within five minutesThe average human could die if left in sub-zero temperature sea water for just five minutes.
However, Natalia is a yoga expert and used meditation techniques to hold her breath and stay under water for an incredible ten minutes and 40 seconds.
There are around 100,000 belugas in the wild.
The first to be held in captivity was shown at Barnum’s Museum in New York in 1861, and there are belugas in aquariums and sea life parks across Europe, North America and Asia.
Their large range of ‘facial expressions’ comes from them having a more flexible bone structure than other whales.
Certainly these two had a big smile for the naked Natalia.
Rare space: Natalia’s encounters with the whales take place in an area of sea which is enclosed to stop whales and dolphins getting out
Here’s looking at you: Belugas have a wider range of ‘facial expressions’ due to a more flexible bone structure, and it has made them a hit in aquariums around the world
Via Mail Online
How poetically beautiful these photos are…and the willingness of the scientist is stunning. It is enough to know we are not confined by our form in the ways in which we perceive when we are aware of our limitless nature ( air and temperature).
If the intention of the project saves whales until we can find a way to save them in the wild how wonderful. Our species is capable of cruelty and compassion and this mission appears to be the latter..even the whales are smiling!
Recently I assisted someone in producing a work of art that involved nature photography which also included some nude human form. This project assisted the client to develop and express the creative side of his brain which had been damaged from a car accident…how rich it is when what we do is from our more caring traits…Bravo Natalia
Why tame them? Just leave them alone!!!
Here is an example where yoga (and meditation) is not used as a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, whose goal is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility, but instead, it’s used as tools by human to con, capture, imprison, hurt other life beings (beluga whales in this case). Aquariums, sea life parks, dolphinariums are shamefully atrocious marketing names for places that are in reality prisons. Yes, many adults and children go to these places with cheerful smiles, but humans also have representatives who with cheerful smiles went on picnics at human lynchings. There was a time not too long ago when some seemingly normal white humans “brought back” some humans from Africa and put them in “nice humanariums”-zoos -prisons, too. When considering the many human (and human busy business) usage of Earth, and of each other and of selfhood, it’s much reflected in the way that many humans relate to these beluga whales life beings in human built life dwellings of prisons that are marketed with names that defj and con truth.
Absolutely humans can have real beautiful relationships with other life beings, as well as with other humans, but slavery for entertainment, no matter with how much “cheerful smiles”, is absolutely not beautiful. Slavery’s cheerful smile is not beauty.
-By Ulla Shine. on August 16, 2011 –
A response to the article Princess of whales: How a naked female scientist tries to tame belugas in the freezing Arctic -by Daily Mail Reporter
I agree. This so-called “yogini” is doing a de-service to the animals and simply contributing to their suffering for the entertainment of humans. She should be ashamed. She is definitely not in line with Universal law and the teachings of yoga. It is sad…
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