Recently, a young woman named Mariia Zelenina spoke out about a viral video of a giant fish biting her head while in front of terrified children. Zelenina, who is a Russian mermaid performer, told PEOPLE all about the strange incident.
The Incident
22-year-old Zelenina went viral recently when she was bitten in the head by a large fish at China’s Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park. She had been a mermaid performer for ten months when the incident occurred.
Masha
Zelenina, who performs under the name “Masha,” was floating underwater while children and park guests watched her performance. But as she was swimming up to presumably get some air, she was attacked by the large fish.
Another Mermaid
While speaking to PEOPLE, Zelenina mentioned that she was with another mermaid performer moments before the incident occurred. “We had a show,” she said. “I did the first solo, another girl was waiting for me to do my solo. I almost finished it and was supposed to surface, but a fish pounced on me.”
Chinese Sturgeon
Zelenina was attacked by a Chinese sturgeon, a Critically Endangered freshwater fish that can reach up to 16 feet long. “I didn’t understand what was going on, I began to push her away and get out of her mouth. When I surfaced, I realized that I didn’t have glasses,” she said.
A Viral Moment
A video, which has since gone viral on social media, showed Zelenina pulling herself free from the fish’s mouth. Her swimming goggles came off during the attack while horrified onlookers watched it all go down.
She Didn’t Feel It
Luckily, the attack wasn’t painful in the moment. Zelenina told PEOPLE that she was so shocked she didn’t feel a thing. Some reports claim that she was forced to get back to work, but according to Zelenina, “I was immediately taken to the hospital.”
No Rush
Luckily, there was no rush for her to return to work after the incident occurred. She would only be back once she felt better. “I’m resting now because my eye still hurts, and I can’t come into contact with water,” she says.
A Terrifying Clip
The terrifying clip was posted to social media and has garnered millions of views. But since the clip has gone viral, Zelenina says she has read many stories about the incident that aren’t true.
Not The Case
“They also write that my superiors threatened me, but that’s not the case either. Of course, they didn’t want the whole country to know about it, but it was inevitable,” she told PEOPLE.
She Is Fine
It was a brutal attack that left her with injuries to her neck, head, and eye, but she is recovering. Overall, she says she is fine.
Unexpected
“It was unexpected. Of course, I was scared, but a lot of things can happen in life, and you need to treat it with humor,” she says. “I feel good. I remember this situation as a joke. I wasn’t afraid of these fish.”
Treated Well
“Foreigners are treated very well here,” she adds of living and working in China. No one is sure why the fish decided to attack Zelenina, but we are grateful that she is okay!
