To touch or not to touch?

[MauiScubaSteve]

Whenever this question comes up, I wonder:

How would you like to have some stranger you see on the street come up and poke you, or stroke you, or pick you up, or turn you over? - or, for those who 'only' touch in the interest of a better photo op - pose you? Especially one who is more than likely about 10 times your size or bigger.

Leave the wildlife alone! They have no affinity for us.

My shrimp buddies have an affinity for my mouth!

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

My shrimp buddies have an affinity for my mouth!

Sometimes the statement just doesn't ever actually end up the way you meant it in your head, does it?

 

[Zieg]

Whenever this question comes up, I wonder:

How would you like to have some stranger you see on the street come up and poke you, or stroke you, or pick you up, or turn you over? - or, for those who 'only' touch in the interest of a better photo op - pose you? Especially one who is more than likely about 10 times your size or bigger.

Leave the wildlife alone! They have no affinity for us.

Well, that would depend on how HOT she was. Damn, I just might like it.

 

[seaducer]

......Yet!!

What you said should be a concern to everyone....they may begin to associate humans with food. It might be 10, 20, even 100 years from now but after they mistakenly bite enough people they could very easily realize we are, in fact, edible. Pavlov's Law will eventually kick in. If I touch something and cause damage to the ecosystem I may not see the effects in my lifetime. Does it really matter then? If so, this remains a dangerous tourist attraction since there's insufficient data to show that what I'm talking about WON'T happen. Granted, I could be wrong.....agreed. However, if I happen to be right, eventually they'll be touching us!!

Just like touching, interaction should be done responsibly. I don't think feeding sharks is responsible. They're predators...let them seek out their prey, not be fed like pets.

On a side note, excellent discussion thus far. Some great points from many people and a few things I wouldn't have thought of.

You are right, in principle at least. However, I do not personally fall into the camp that feels feeding sharks is bad for people. And I think we know enough about shark behavior to make an informed guess, and I believe that there have been enough shark feeds going, for more than 10 years now, that we should be seeing a pattern emerge if it were a danger to us. And yet there isn't one.

I am in the camp that feels shark feeds are a potential danger to the sharks themselves. Any shark fisherman who wants to exploit a resource knows where to find large concentrations of sharks who will readily follow a chum slick.

OTOH I feel that shark dives have done some good, made a positive impact. I think alot of people who would have otherwise been afraid of sharks, or not thought much about them, have had the opportunity to get close to them. Afterwards they were more likely to sign petitions and become more active in trying to conserve the few we have left.

Are they bad? In principle, yes. Have they done positive things for sharks? I believe they have. Does the good out weigh the bad? I am not sure. I lean towards yes, but I could be swayed easily at this point.

 

[Abidon]

Sometimes the statement just doesn't ever actually end up the way you meant it in your head, does it?

Zing!!!

 

[paradicio]

You are right, in principle at least. However, I do not personally fall into the camp that feels feeding sharks is bad for people. And I think we know enough about shark behavior to make an informed guess, and I believe that there have been enough shark feeds going, for more than 10 years now, that we should be seeing a pattern emerge if it were a danger to us. And yet there isn't one.

Worldwide Shark populations are on the decline, yet Shark attacks are on the rise. This can be interpreted as "more people in the water", but I'm wondering if we might be conditioning them to associate humans with food. Pavlov and his dogs anyone?

I have absolutely no proof to back up that theory, and honestly I don't know how we would go about proving it, but IMHO it does beg consideration.

 

[InstructorMike]

Working as a Instructor and Divemaster with well over 5,000 dives I have held the ones in the Gulf of Mexico a hundred times.

It will not hurt you and "IF" you know what you are doing it will not hurt it.

Before the last Red Tide we had hundreds of them out there.

When ever I have a student or anyone besides me "hold" any creature I have a rule they have to use only a flat, OPEN palm. If the creature falls or walks off they are NOT to stop it.

They get a HUGE thrill and get to see it up close.

I then very carefully put it back safely.

When I pull the Big Stone crabs out of the holes for them to see of course I will not let them near them.

IF you do NOT have lots of experience I suggest and ASK you NOT to touch anything.

When I am diving south in the Carribbean or Fiji or any where other then my back yard, the Gulf of Mexico I do NOT touch the creatures I am filming.

 

[on_two_wheels]

Whenever this question comes up, I wonder:



Leave the wildlife alone! They have no affinity for us.

I'm sure someone once said that about dogs, horses, ferrets, cats, etc at some point in history.

 

[highdesert]

I'm sure someone once said that about dogs, horses, ferrets, cats, etc at some point in history.

Are you lobbying for domestication of marine life?

 

[on_two_wheels]

Are you lobbying for domestication of marine life?

Damn right....I want me own dolphin or whale so I can have a free ride to the best dives sites!!