Brian McDonald
New Zealand authorities have fined a man hundreds of dollars for what they say was a display of “shocking and stupid attitude” after he was filmed jumping from a boat in an attempt to “body slam” an orca that was swimming nearby. a puppy.
In a press release on Tuesday, New Zealand Department of Conservation said he became aware of a video posted on Instagram in February that shows the 50-year-old man committing the act. The department said he was off the coast of Devonport, Auckland, when the video was recorded, “in what appears to be a deliberate effort to touch or ‘body slam’ the orca.”
“At a certain point in the video the man shouts ‘I played’ to the other people on the boat, before asking ‘do you understand?’, in apparent reference to footage of his antics,” the department said. “Other people on board the ship laugh and cheer as they watch .”
This action, they added, “demonstrated a reckless disregard for their own safety – and that of the adult male orca with a calf swimming near the ship.”
“The video left us genuinely stunned,” said Hayden Loper, the Department of Conservation’s principal investigating officer.
“In addition to the initial attempt to dive onto the animal, the man remains in the water and then swims towards it again, in a second attempt to touch it,” said Loper. “This is stupid behavior [sic] and demonstrates a shocking disregard for the orca’s well-being. It’s extremely irresponsible.”
Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, are the largest members of the dolphin family and are considered “nationally critical” in New Zealand, meaning they are “facing an immediate high risk of extinction.” It is estimated that no more than 200 animals roam the country’s waters, with ship traffic being a major threat. Swimming with marine mammals or disturbing them in any way is illegal.
Given recent incidents off the coast of Spain in which orcas sank ships, as well as the animals’ enormous size – they can reach nearly 9 meters in length – the DOC said this situation could have ended horribly for the man involved. “Any sudden movement” near the animals could cause harm, they said.
“Orcas are immensely powerful animals, and this really could have ended horribly – with the frightened whale being injured or the man responsible being injured by the aggravated animal,” Loper said.
The Auckland man has since been fined $600 as the department said he committed an act that “shows a shocking and stupid attitude towards protected marine mammals”. The whales involved in the incident do not appear to have suffered significant damage or disturbance, the department said on social media.
