Pet the shark?

[Boogie711]

most fish are covered with a protective layer of slime. Excessive handling of a fish will remove this slime layer, and cause the fish to die.

Most professional 'catch and release' type fisherman minimize handling the fish at all, preferring to remove the hook right in the water. Petting fish is no different.

 

[SeaJay]

Sharks don't have slime.

Scuberd, the reason why it'd be cruel to catch a shark is for the same reason it would be cruel for a shark to come onshore, rip you into the water, and take you home to have his buddies pet you. Believe me, it wouldn't be an enjoyable experience for you... If you survived.

Luckily, they haven't the intelligence or the tools to do such a thing. Good thing, eh?

Certainly the poor thing's terrified.

Not to mention... If you had no hands and an alien being came down to get you and rip you into an environment that you've never seen before, wouldn't you do what you could to defend yourself? To a shark, that means teeth. That's all they've got!

I would politely advise against reaching in and "grabbing" the carnivore with the conveyor belt of serrated teeth.

If you want to really be amazed, then dive with them and watch them in action. They're beautifully graceful... At least, when they're not being cuddled.

I once saw a divemaster on a shark dive who wore a T-shirt that said, "Please don't hug the sharks."

 

[scuberd]

please don't misunderstand me, catching a shark like that just to pet it is wrong and I think it should be stopped. what I have done once in a while is underwater while on a dive and with nothing but my wits and a glove.

 

[SeaJay]

Then I recommend going to Africa and taking one of those safari tours. When you get out on the plains, see if you can run up to a lion and catch it with your bare hands. Use gloves if it's cold. If you're successful, then it's your reward, right?

Sorry, man... I love ya... I just couldn't resist.

Is it not exactly the same thing?

Why not try that with your next-door-neighbor's pitt bull?

Now think about this, bud... Those animals only have ONE row of teeth, and you aren't reliant on external life support systems while "catching" a pitt bull (likely more domesticated than a shark anyway). So why, then, does it not seem rediculous to do that to a shark, when it seems silly to do that to a land predator?

My advice is to keep your distance and observe respectfully. Like any other wild animal, they'll basically leave you alone, but if they begin to feed, it might be a better idea to observe from the confines of the boat.

Now, let's think about this... Who in their right mind would pick up a lion cub and cuddle it? Admittedly, baby sharks are not kept by the mothers like lion cubs are... But why mess with it?

If you look at those statistics, you'll see that the divers "attacked" by a shark were provoking it... In other words, "grabbing it."

If you were the shark, how else could you defend yourself?

I love ya, man. Don't get upset that I'm lecturing you on this. I would just like to see you keep all of your fingers.

 

[OglalaDiver]

Just got back from the Keys, where I was brave enough (read DUMB enough) to pet two nurse sharks while on two different dives. I didnt grab them, they had plenty of room to get away, and if I got bit, I knew it would be my fault, NOT the sharks. At any rate, what those folks are doing...in my book....is wrong. Alot of people will say what I did was wrong as well....maybe
Marty

 

[jgiddings]

That picture is terrible!

I was told that if I touched the fish in my aqaurium, they might loose there protective "slime" that protectes them from disease. I don't if it the same for big critters, but I say don't touch. If they touch you, that's another story

 

[Scubaroo]

Found out some more info from the guy who's friend took the photo - apparently the passengers on the dive boat were told it was okay for the shark to be removed from the water and handled like this, because they had sailed outside of the Great Barrier Reef national park, and it wasn't against the law where they were (international waters?).

Nice attitude - it's okay to harass marine life as long as there are no laws preventing it.

The shark was eventually put back.

 

[Arnaud]

Sounds like a very respectable dive operation. How about a little publicity?

 

[Scubaroo]

Arnaud once bubbled...
Sounds like a very respectable dive operation. How about a little publicity?

Don't know the boat name - he forgets

 

[QKRTHNU]

While fishing with my Dad in FL I caught two small hammerhead sharks (probably the same one) and I couldn't resist touching it before unhooking.