do you intervene with cruel nature?

[tjmills]

Just my opinion but you should all be ashamed of yourself for ever doing something like this. This is the natural cycle and is part of the ecosystem just as much as reaching up and breaking off a piece of the reef and putting in your pocket.

The other side of the coin is watching the animal die because he can't find a meal and starves to death, or perhaps disease spreads because one of the weak ones survived.

Ok, I am off the soap box.

 

[bnelson]

it's not my, your's or anyone else's place to do anything.

when you see a shark chomping on a helpless sea-turtle of dugong, do you intervene or let nature take its course? just asking a question because i have seen several of the shark-turtle encounters and i pity the turtle and feel like i should do something instead of nature taking its course.

 

[mislav]

Just my opinion but you should all be ashamed of yourself for ever doing something like this.

Just my opinion but I shall NEVER be ashamed for helping someone in need of help.

 

[WaterDawg]

Don't you people have kids? Haven't you ever seen The Lion King?

It's that whole circle of life thing. 'Twas meant to be.

Yeah! remember the whole antelope and lion talk? Seriously, sharks have been eating other fish (who at the moment needed TONS of help) since God invented the ability to eat fish.

I did see an awsome video once on a turtle vs a tiger shark. As the turtle was racing to land were it would be safe, a tiger shark was right on its tail, then right next to it as it moved in for the kill (sucks I know but they have to eat too) the turtle snaped at the sharks gills and took a nice chunk of flesh! The shark was done hunting that day.

If you really want to help truly defensless animals dont eat meat. I do...but Im all for the whole circle of life thing.

 

[bnelson]

are we still talking about animals? define need of help? would you deprive the predator of food to save the prey's life? isn't either just as bad as the other? there's some things that should not be "helped" by humans to make it fit our vision of the way the world should be...

Just my opinion but I shall NEVER be ashamed for helping someone in need of help.

 

[tjmills]

are we still talking about animals? define need of help? would you deprive the predator of food to save the prey's life? isn't either just as bad as the other? there's some things that should not be "helped" by humans to make it fit our vision of the way the world should be...

Exactly the point. We have this vision of how something should be and not how it actually should be. You are not helping anything by doing this, only hurting the ecosystem of which you are already an intruder in by being there. WE are the visitors and we have a short opportunity to visit these ecosystems and OBSERVE. NOT change it to how we, or more importantly YOU think it should be. If you "think" you are some kind of humanitarian for doing this, think again. You are quite the opposite.

Like I said, this is no different to cracking off a piece of the reef and taking it with you. What gives anyone the right to do something like this or for that matter think that they are somehow helping. Amazing.

 

[mislav]

Nah, I won't bother to clarify or justify my position. I'm happy to see I've got people who share my views on this board.

The only reason I could think of that would prevent me from saving you from a shark attack is if you had "tjmills" written on your forehead. You know, where the mask is supposed to be if you're a diver in distress.

Even then, I think I would save you coz you're helping Matt.

 

[fishb0y]

How about this for an example... today I put a triton's trumpet snail on top of a crown of thorns starfish for some slow speed action. 15 years ago, you would never see a cot, but now you see them every dive. Your thoughts?

 

[bnelson]

there's not any room to clarify or justify meddling somewhere you aren't meant to be. 5 feet and deeper of water and human's really aren't meant to be there. then to start changing and meddling with balances and interactions that are not even understood by the scientific community, much less you or me, and attempt to justify it and glamour it up as, tjmills said, 'humanitarianisimservation', is, when you look at it, meddling-with-things-you-don't-understand.

-bri

Nah, I won't bother to clarify or justify my position. I'm happy to see I've got people who share my views on this board.

The only reason I could think of that would prevent me from saving you from a shark attack is if you had "tjmills" written on your forehead. You know, where the mask is supposed to be if you're a diver in distress.

Even then, I think I would save you coz you're helping Matt.

 

[mislav]

Brian, the original poster asked for our opinions on an issue he himself was uncertain of and got two kinds of responses. I stated my opinion on the subject giving alongside some food for thought.

Returned afterwards to check for any responses and found TJ's note how anyone not agreeing with his views should be ashamed of himself. It was in plural so it didn't concern only me. To this my response was a simple - no, I won't be ashamed. I could have made it reciprocal - no, you should be ashamed of your views! - yet, of course, I didn't. I know better than that.

Now this is where your advocacy steps in and I've made it perfectly clear that I do not intend to preach or wage a war of arguments in this thread. You have your views and I have mine.

Again, you come back flaming and converting everyone to your beliefs by means of sword and fire. Don't you believe in what you're saying? If, by your words, neither me, you, nor the scientific community have a definite answer to this issue then why are we not entitled to our own different opinions?

I saw right away that you did not enter this discussion willing to learn anything new or to give it some thought. This is why I won't discuss this matter any further.

So, you can fume all you want, but I won't lose any sleep over it.