Please help educate this man

[LittleFrogFish]

Please take a look at this vdo clip and help educate the divers. They rode a whaleshark!

http://www.hi5.com/friend/video/displayViewVideo.do?videoId=861003&ownerId=41065101

Thank you :blinking:

[Vie]

And one of them has a spear gun... :(

[Scram Bulleggs]

Do you believe they harmed the shark in any way? Seems that many people do get encounters with whale sharks and the sharks often initiate them.

Also I would highly doubt the guy with the spear gun was out hunting whale sharks.

[RICHinNC]

Dude would have you know what if he was.

[LittleFrogFish]

I just thought we should be cautious since we don't seem to completely understand the animals. Showing some respect wouldn't hurt either.

[maphic]

The last frame in the video was kind of sad.

[ShakaZulu]

Why is ok then to ride horses?

[BidAndDive.com]

Yikes...that's horrible...and I'm not just talking about the music...

[LIVES4SHARKS]

Why is ok then to ride horses?

That is a poor example. Horses are domesticated and have been bread through the centuries for use. But a wild horse sometimes cannot be tamed. Marine life can be more delicate than they appear. Traumatizing any animal can cause it's demise. The best thing is to observe and if you must touch, be it in a way that doesn't stress the animal. If the animal tries to flee, let it go. I am doing an expedition with the Shark Research Institute and will assist the team in observing and making minimal contact with the whale sharks in order to tag them. I will be educated how to work with these species. We as divers need to protect what we see, not to do more harm. We are all responsible for the protection of all the creatures we come in contact with.

Just know, don't think that these people would get a butt chewing from me! Homey don't play that! :shakehead:

Happy Diving with my sharkies!
Carolyn:sharks:

[RS]

At least the fish didn't have to listen to that music.

Made me want to BARF.

[Pseudocyber]

Too bad shale sharks don't eat stuipid, ignorant ********g idiots.

[lemondiver]

Divers and snorklers do ignorant things. You shouldn't ride any ocean creatures, have some respect. What makes people thing the shark wants you to ride it. Like the guy who saw a huge turtle on a liveaboard trip. He immediated tried to ride the turtle.......duhhh turtles breath air, now the turtle is struggling. The DM had to go over and grab the turtle out of the guys hands. THINK when you dive. Observe them naturally.

[Sasquatch]

At least nobody ate the shark, (at least not while the cameras were rolling).