Marine Life Interaction

[proffumdiver]

Not that sure where to post this but was wondering what people thought of something like the picture below being done by someone

persoally i think a smack over the head with a heavy object would be a good idea. The guy in the photo is an OWSI .............. way to go showing how interfering with marine life is done for your students you ****!

 

[eandiver]

Real good way to get bitten by the animal or beaten by your buddy.

I wonder how he would feel if a Bull shark "just wanted to feel what it's like" having the diver in his mouth. "I won't hurt him and I promise to let him go as soon as he wants"

 

[JohnnyH]

That photo appears to be taken through the glass in an aquarium exhibit.

Which, by the way, in no way justifies hanging on to one of the exhibit's animals. I work in an aquarium and dive with sharks on a daily basis but we are very strict about shark interactions. (We feed them in-tank using a 3' fiberglass pole to offer food to our sharks). We never handle them unless absolutely required, such as when we have to remove them from exhibit, and then it's done in the very early AM, before the aquarium is open.

You say this person is an OWSI - so do you know him? If so, could you explain a little more about the circumstances under which the photo was taken? I'd be surprised if any aquarium condoned this type of interaction.

By the way - is that a Zebra shark? I've never dealt with one before and had to look it up. Beautiful animal.

John

 

[smartecosse]

i saw this guys advert on padimembers and saw the same photo. glad its not just meet that thinks hes a dcik

 

[Midnight Star]

Though that looks cute, it's not always a good idea. Some animals might lose their fear of man, get too close and bite some innocent swimmer or get "poached" themselves, or the diver could get bitten. Another problem about handling fish and marine life, is most have a protective film or slime on the outter portion of their skin, if that's damaged or removed, it could cause disease and/or parasites to "set up shop". Plus, getting that slime, oil or "scent" on your wetsuit or skin, might make you "interesting" to other predatory species ... even those that might not otherwise come in for a "sample" bite. Lastly, if you handle animals that are diseased (it's not always easy to tell), you could inadvertantly spread the "infection" to other areas of the reef during the dive, or even different bodies of water during different dives (who washes their gear in fresh water while on a cruise? or from going to dive site to dive site during the same day?

Plus, never, ever trust a wild animal.

-----

Mike.

 

[Don Wray]

I don't like it, nope, don't like it at all.

 

[merxlin]

Wasn't it just a couple months ago that the video of the guy "kissing" (read: getting his face bit hard) a shark was circulating? I love the Darwin theory.............

 

[Midnight Star]

Wasn't it just a couple months ago that the video of the guy "kissing" (read: getting his face bit hard) a shark was circulating? I love the Darwin theory.............

That sounds like a case of de-evolved thinking, or a literal case of "animal lover".

-----

Mike.

 

[terrasmak]

Animal interaction didnt end up working out very well for Steve Erwin and he was a pro , i'm just going to learn from his mistakes.

 

[altitudemike]

What an *****. I hate that more than anything else.