When is "the line" crossed?

[mjh]

Once again if the animal initiates the contact fine. The problem I see with the “pro contact” position is that most add “if you have experience dealing with marine life”, “if they know what they are doing”. Well who defines “experienced”? Face it there are plenty of “experienced” divers who walk across the reef and don’t have a clue. With “no-touch” you remove the subjective part.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Ok, so just how do you do this?

You have to be pretty like me & Smedley... in a cephalopodish kinda way, don'tchaknow...
Seriously, it's a matter of being slow, calm, non-threatening and approaching in a way that always leaves the animal an escape route - the animal has a choice of leaving or approaching.
And color coordination, of course.
Rick

 

[Rookie_J]

How would it affect your belief if the animal initiated the contact?

Out here we have cabezons ... picture a 2-3 foot long Jabba the Hutt with an attitude ... who get rather aggressive during nesting season. Now, before you suggest just staying away from the nests, that ain't always possible cuz they can sometimes not be visible till you're right on top of 'em. Suddenly ol' Jabba comes screaming toward you at mach speed and "WHAMO!" ... sometimes it'll even whap into your tank at full throttle. Now you'd think "that had to hurt" ... not so. He'll just back up 8 or 10 feet and come at you again ... and again ... until you get out of his yard.

And there's places where the wolf eels are so used to diver interaction that they'll come right up to you, begging like an ill-trained dog for table scraps. Had one wrap itself around my leg one time and gave me the saddest look outta that smurf-blue face ... reminded me of a hungry golden retriever.

I've been harrassed by harbor seals, groped by GPO's, and targeted by triggerfish ... and none of them were particularly concerned about being "touched" ... heck, sometimes I have to give them a bit of a stiff-arm just to get them to leave me alone.

So it really depends on the situation ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

the situations you described above are very different from a diver swiming up to an eel, shark or other reef resident and handling, poking or chasing it..

i would very much like to have a seal be so comfortable with my presence that he swims up to check me out or tries to take a nibble out of my fin.... would be a cool conversation piece during the SI...

but i still hope i have the control to not reach out and touch it... it really serves no purpose other than bragging rights to say you handled a (insert species)..


i just don't understand the need....

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

i would very much like to have a seal be so comfortable with my presence that he swims up to check me out or tries to take a nibble out of my fin.... would be a cool conversation piece during the SI...

It's pretty cool the first time it happens ...

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=85041

... but it gets old in a hurry.

Last year I had one decide I wasn't paying enough attention to him ... so he swam up underneath me, put his muzzle in my crotch, and PUSHED ...

That really wasn't much fun at all ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Rookie_J]

It's pretty cool the first time it happens ... but it gets old in a hurry.

Last year I had one decide I wasn't paying enough attention to him ... so he swam up underneath me, put his muzzle in my crotch, and PUSHED ...

That really wasn't much fun at all ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

:11: better a push than a nibble

 

[drdiver1952]

If you want to interact with wildlife--join a conservation organization and interact in a meaningful way.

The line is crossed whenever you do more than just observe behavior.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

If you want to interact with wildlife--join a conservation organization and interact in a meaningful way.

The line is crossed whenever you do more than just observe behavior.

Hmmmm ... a rather firm statement, considering that many of us would rather eat crab/shrimp/fish/lobster than simply look at them.

Personally, I think the line's a bit broader than that ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[drdiver1952]

Hmmmm ... a rather firm statement, considering that many of us would rather eat crab/shrimp/fish/lobster than simply look at them.

Personally, I think the line's a bit broader than that ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Well, yeah, there are a few things we can eat. Shrimp (marginallly), some fish, lobster--heard an interesting argument last week that the decline in lobster is causing the decline in the reef. Less we do, the better, IMHO

 

[Tom Smedley]

Green Morays actually like to be rubbed and touched. Keep your hand flat and move very slowly and don't make aggressive moves and the eel will actually rub your hand in the spot where they would like to be rubbed. Don't try it with a spotted Moray. Octopus are the same way. Just hang out near an octopus hole and again hold your hand near and the animal will start to feel you up and then try to pull you into her hole. As long at the escape of an animal is not blocked the interaction is healthy and ok. One thing about it all is the Moray and the Octopus can and will fight back if threatened or cornered. The whole issue is moving slowly and allowing the animal to warm up to you. An Octopus will come up onto your hand and turn red with smooth skin and allow you to stroke her. But when another diver comes into the picture she bristles and turns white until she warms up to that diver. Try it sometimes.

Fish are curious by nature - just stay in one spot and the whole gang will come over and stare at you. When in a fresh water spring rub some sausage fat on your fingers and watch the American Eels come up to check them out.

The unforgivable doofus is the one that turns live sand dollars upside down and leaves them there or cuts up a living creature to feed another. Vienna sausage is too cheap and the fish like it better anyway. Did you know Ramora like watermelon?

Lighten up break a rule now and then to see how good it feels. And take the advice of Dee Scarr - Learn to touch the sea.

 

[Doc]

Leave nothing but bubbles. Don't bring "fish food".

Allow critters to touch you by understanding how to invite that interaction.

Lose the gloves. (No matter what) No excuses.