When is "the line" crossed?

[mjh]

If a creature comes up to you and initiates contact like some octopus and eels then fine. Otherwise the no touch rule is a good one. Regarding mantas, the Hawaii population that frequents the Kona night dive show skin infections from the frequent contact with divers. The shops say it is not seen on the mantas that are not seen at the night dive.

As we all know more and more people are diving. Maybe 20yrs ago it was just one stressful incident in the rays, eels, puffer fish’s life. Now with so many people diving the same areas the “no touch” just makes sense. As divers we should take it on ourselves to talk about it after the dive with the offending divers. I think it is a hard thing for dive guides who are dependant on tips for a living.

 

[fishoutawater]

Nice film Rick. I have to agree with the "critters don't seem to mind, sometimes" theory. Down in Key Largo, I snapped a few closeups of a big meany greenie. It came completely out of its hole and slithered all over my body. I just froze and hid my fingers in my armpits. :froze:

Good point MJH, today's diver pressure is something we should all consider.

 

[discrepancy]

No doubt about it...the guy poking the moray with a lump of cable brought no credit on himself or his species, and I'd like the opportunity to poke him back with a very sharp object to see how he feels about it.

Having said that, harassment cuts both ways. I was recently out diving off Sydney, minding my own business and enjoying the serenity, when this large Eastern Blue Groper rudely interrupted my peaceful enjoyment of the ocean by swimming too close, cutting me off, and generally invading my personal space. (see evidentiary pic)

I admit the groper was a local diver, and I recognise that he believed this was his little patch of reef. I also acknowledge he just wanted me to dig a sea-urchin out from the rocks for him (urchins are the gropers' favourite food). But, this guy was a menace. I can only describe his behaviour as blatant 'reef rage'. This is wrong and someone should do something about it. Who do I complain to ? There must be a federal government department responsible. I demand action.

 

[fishoutawater]

That's cool Prune fingers! Nice to have friends in low places. Especially pretty ones.
I'd read about a divers account of his experience with a Puget Sound octopus once. The guy said he was trying to coax the octopus out of its cave. He'd grab an arm and give it a little tug. But the octopus was not very cooperative. The diver kept at it for a minute or so. Well the octopus finally had had enough. Octo rushed out of his cave, grabbed the surprised diver and towed him about fifty feet away from his cave. He then released the diver, and went back into his cave.
I thought that was pretty funny. To think that an invertabrae could actually have a temper. Amazing.

 

[SueMermaid]

Harassing wildlife is always a bad idea. Poking a moray (or any other living creature) with a stick is certainly juvenile and is putting a stress on the animal.

We are there to watch and to do no damage to the reef. Stressing out the livestock is certainly damaging in insidious ways that we cannot see immediately. I have been diving with people like that, and I have to say, I get very angry about it, and am not shy about expressing that anger. He had no business doing what he did.

 

[scubaguy655]

I personally think that the "don't touch" rule is necessary and should be enforced. While there are probably many divers with experience and knowledge of the critters that enjoy human interaction, I would bet that the larger number have no idea and just want that photo of them riding on the back of the green sea turtle (insert favorite underwater life here)!

Nothing irritates me more than seeing someone scaring off the underwater life by their "need" to touch it.......except the divers that think it is ok to go fins down on top of a huge barrel sponge or crawl through the coral.

I will say that I enjoy watching the coral petting divers find out what fire coral is all about though

 

[djkpsu]

I myself feel the interaction with the wildlife life is ok for knowledgable people with good dive skills.

Anything that causes the creature to move away, or retreat into its home, I would says crosses the line.

One example of good interaction, I can give was on a trip in Burma. In the dive briefing the DM said that the site had a lot of cleaner shrimp. If we wanted to, we could place our hand on the rock near some of them, and they would probably walk out and start to give you a manicure. I have to say it was a pretty neat feeling, and since the shrimp made the contact of there own free will, I don't see how that can be a problem.

 

[Rick Murchison]

do no damage

Now I can get on board with that!
I can still play with the critters, and the "no-touchers" who're out there churning up the bottom can get out of the water.
Rick

 

[discrepancy]

All jokes aside, I learned a salutory lesson about upsetting our aquatic companions while I was still newbie diver in Thailand. I spotted an octpus, and my brand new Cybershot camera was in my BC pocket. The occy saw me coming and took refuge behind a rock, hoping I didn't see him hide. But I did, and I took off after him, determined to get the shot.

For 5 or 10 minutes we played hide-and-seek around that boulder...the occy pretending not to be there and me finning around the rock with camera cocked waiting for my opporunity to pounce.

Eventually I cornered him, and I took the shot right in his face. To this day I will never forget how he shivvered and jumped when the flash discharged - like a scared rabbit. He was frightened witless, and I was appalled at the distress I had caused him. I finned away thinking to myself what an a-hole I had been to him.

Call me sentimental, but I like to think there is a bond we form with our fellow creatures underwater, and the way that poor octopus shuddered made me realise that even photography can be an intrusive breach of trust or something like it.

I for one am much more careful now about chasing down an intelligent species just to get a nice piccy. Fishoutawater's octopus story is amazing, but somehow it doesn't surprise me. They are smarter and more feeling than some of us give them credit for, and the guy harassing the moray should spend more time watching and less time poking.

 

[sharky60]

Just for grins & giggles...
Rick

Nice clip Rick!!!

It is evident that many of us "old timers" were taught to educate ourselves about sea life, it's behavior and then make an educated responce to interacting with it. Some of us were even certified in romote parts of the world while in the military and the area was vertually untouched by humans and interaction was much more accepted.
On Midway Island we had some VERY big Jacks that were very curious, they would swim up to you get in your face, swim in and out of your legs as you were swimming and sometimes just be a general neusance when you were tying to get a lobster for dinner!!! but they were fun to play with. We also had small spotted eels that showed no fear of us and would actually occationally swim into you BC! This was a little disturbing to new divers that thought they were sea snakes!!

Sence we got certified 20+ years ago, there have been many more areas designated at marine parks and rules put into place to protect them. So much more restraint is called for because someone with less experience may see you doing it and just think it's ok, not knowing the repercussions of touching the wrong thing.

I am a volunteer diver at the Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park and we handle the fish and interact with them during our feeding and cleaning dives all the time, and being one of the "old timers" that has been enjoying the interaction with sea life for over 20+ years, it is sometimes difficult to restrain one's self when the opportunity presents it's self. Again education is the key, you don't just go 'poking' at anything you run accross. Many of these animals, eels in particular have VERY poor eyesight and may just mistake you hand for food, and that is no way to loose a digit!!!!!

Many animals do seem to enjoy the human interaction, just know which one's do and learn to read them because even a "friendly" octopus can pack quite a bite if it decides to.


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