Do photographers inadvertently harass marine life?

[Catito]

Cousteau dynamited the Blue Hole.

Hey, you used him as your example, not me.

 

[Blackcrusader]

The answer to the question in your thread title is "sometimes." Sometimes it is inadvertent, sometimes it is on purpose, and sometimes there is no harassment.

Also at times the marine life just swims up to divers and it's not their fault. I had a whale shark come from behind me and bump into me.

I got this eel shot at 22m depth on a dive... I used my TG6 zoom to get close up.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I've seen photographers pull on an octopus. I've seen divers with poor skills silt out a reef with their flailing. I've seen hunters spear fish and take lobster. There is good and bad in everyone, however, if it weren't for photographers, most of us would have never considered diving. From films by Jacques Cousteau and Hans Hass to National Geographic to Jaws, most of us learned about diving from photography.

Jaws was one of the worst films as people just started out killing every shark they could fine.

 

[Catito]

Jaws was one of the worst films as people just started out killing every shark they could fine.

Yup

 

[Blackcrusader]

Yup

I do like octopus though. Close enough so they can reach out and touch me which has happened.

 

[clownfishsydney]

Bit unfair what you say. Octopus are hardly affected by taking photos, same for most whale shark experiences. Kicking moray eels is certainly not right.

And yes, I think some photographers do harass marine life, I know a few who move them to get better photos, some who take a 100 photos when 4 or 5 would suffice.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Bit unfair what you say. Octopus are hardly affected by taking photos, same for most whale shark experiences. Kicking moray eels is certainly not right.

And yes, I think some photographers do harass marine life, I know a few who move them to get better photos, some who take a 100 photos when 4 or 5 would suffice.

Some of us take video which takes a few minutes or more.

 

[Centrals]

I have seen it so many times over last 20+ yrs.
I have even been kicked when a photographer just barged in and regardless where I was.
Plenty photographers just could not care less as long as they found something interesting to shot at.
"Inadvertently"? Probably to some but not everyone.

 

[chris kippax]

Ive seen two wobbegongs fighting/mating?? not sure.
They did more damage to the coral bommie in 1 minute than I would as a photographer in my whole life.
Ambushing a whaleshark sounds like fairytale stuff! kicking a morey? good way to hurt your foot.
Troll post, maybe we should learn not to feed the arctic troll.

 

[BoltSnap]

I have seen photographers kick Moray eels to get that aggressive shot.

I have seen photographers ambush Whale sharks.

I have seen photographers use their flash/lights to blind turtles.

I have seen photographers stick their camera lens in the face of an Octopus.

I no longer point out marine life to photographers.

I fear not those who throw rocks at my coffin for I’m already dead

So RoboCop's mission now is to initiate controversy to generate content on SB.


And you have seen all of these actions in your one year of diving? I have been diving for over 50 years all over the world and I haven't seen anyone do these things.


So smart Firmware man, why don't you tell us more about your personal first hand experience and where you have seen these incidents?


You don't know photography, not diving and certainly not marine life.


"kick Moray eels"???
Perhaps in your tin can dreams.


"ambush Whale Sharks"??
Hahahahaha


"stick their camera lens in the face of an Octopus"?? Yeah, right let me give my $15K camera and lens to the octopus to play with it.