Like almost everything in diving, I think the only rule that applies in all cases is "it depends". In general I prefer to leave animals alone, because I prefer to photograph them in their natural state ... which requires them to be unstressed. On the other hand, some animals don't mind interaction ... some will even initiate it. I don't have a problem with that. My general rule of thumb is that most animals are shy of humans and prefer to be left alone ... so leave them alone. Some will get stressed out if we get too close ... in which case, we shouldn't do that. Others don't mind our presence, and interacting with them does no harm (if done properly). And some are naturally curious and will initiate contact ... in which case, it's OK to let them do that. Indeed, in some cases you can hardly prevent it short of getting out of the water.
The key is knowing which is which, knowing how to "read" an animal's responses in order to determine whether interaction is a good or bad idea, letting the animal initiate the contact and/or always leaving an "out" for he animal to retreat if it so desires. Keep in mind that these animals interact with each other on a constant basis ... often with fatal results for one or the other. They are not (usually) fragile. Our presence underwater is something new to them. They have to ... and will ... adapt to over time. Your reactions to them will determine the course that adaptation will take.
The one thing I don't much care for is people feeding them ... because it changes their behavior and in many cases they grow dependent on being fed ... which is bad for any wild animal. If you have a need to feed an animal, get a dog and leave the opportunity feeders alone to fend for themselves. Sure it's fun when they come out of their dens looking for handouts ... but it's not good for the critter. Besides that, people sometimes feed them nasty stuff like hot dogs ... which isn't even a good thing to do to another human, much less a wild animal.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
