Naked woman swims with Beluga whales in Arctic Ocean. Or as the Russians call it, ‘Wednesday’

For those easily shocked by photos of a naked woman swimming with whales in sub-zero waters, I would read no further. But in Russia, one woman thought that this would be a good thing to do. Here’s Natalia Avseenko, 36, helping scientists research two Beluga whales in the Murmansk Oblast region of the White Sea near the Arctic Circle branch of the Utrish Dophinarium. In case you’re wondering why she doesn’t freeze, the explanation is that Avseenko is a yoga expert who can regulate her own temperature.

Avseenko was persuaded to strip naked as marine experts believe belugas do not like to be touched by artificial materials such as diving suits.

Oh, THAT old line.

Of course this isn’t really research in the strictest sense. What the scientists are doing is trapping the animals near the shore so that they can be tamed and then shipped to oceanariums around the world. Animal activists are not happy with the practice.

The 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.

Aquaman not impressed.

***
Princess of whales: How a naked female scientist tries to tame belugas in the freezing Arctic [London Daily Mail]