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CozumelWorld Class Marine Park drift diving, renown cuisine and great hospitality. The island with a Mexican heart and a Caribbean soul! You’ve seen the Corona commercials, come experience the reality.
A slap on the hand and a reminder are not enough to say the least. Looking at the video this is not the first time this is done I also believe it was towards the end of a dive that started with a bigger group that had 2 divemasters, the guy with the bouy and line is proof it is almost the end of the dive, the way the other one interacted with the eel shows he is used to doing it.
The Secretary of Tourism, Harbor Master, Marine National Park, have ALL guides take this courses where this is mentioned enough, The Secretary of Natural Resources and Environment has rules to dive inside a NATIONAL PARK PROTECTED AREA,and we the guides and teachers are supposed to encourage and make sure this rules are followed, like no big knifes, no gloves, no suntan lotion etc. This affects other shops because after this display of stupidity those divers will be asking me to do it in Cancun and be disappointed if I dont provide it.
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MIGUEL
PADI OWSI SPECIALTY INSTRUCTOR 166178
SSI INSTRUCTOR 48912
A slap on the hand and a reminder are not enough to say the least. Looking at the video this is not the first time this is done I also believe it was towards the end of a dive that started with a bigger group that had 2 divemasters, the guy with the bouy and line is proof it is almost the end of the dive, the way the other one interacted with the eel shows he is used to doing it.
The Secretary of Tourism, Harbor Master, Marine National Park, have ALL guides take this courses where this is mentioned enough, The Secretary of Natural Resources and Environment has rules to dive inside a NATIONAL PARK PROTECTED AREA,and we the guides and teachers are supposed to encourage and make sure this rules are followed, like no big knifes, no gloves, no suntan lotion etc. This affects other shops because after this display of stupidity those divers will be asking me to do it in Cancun and be disappointed if I dont provide it.
Great points Miguel...this behavior is inexcusable on many levels...it really turns my stomach. I agree, this guy looks like he has alot of practice with this and probably does it all of the time. I looked on You Tube to find other videos from that poster to see if I could get a better view of the tanks or any other clues to see who it might be...but didn't have much luck. I also showed the video to all of my crew to see if any of them recognized wither of the DM's and they don't...but they're going to be on the lookout.
This may be a very minor aside but it does not appear to me that people are climbing on coral. It looks to me like mainly rubble and the odd black thingy that stings like a SOB. Just to keep the outrage properly directed....
I often carefully pick up scorpion fish to show new divers, I even grab a puffer or two (last night we shined a light under it's belly to make a "glowing fish ball". Last night my son and I also grabbed and gently handled a bat fish, various crabs, baby lobsters, arrow crabs and a bunch of maiting horseshoe crabs. We also frequently smash urchins to feed small fish. I know many people consider these activities "bad", but I do not.
However, feeding a dangerous eel like that is incredibly stupid. It will almost surely result in the eventual destruction of the eel when the inevitable accident happens.
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What a crock. I am all for a more zealous approach. If you know something is wrong to do, but you do it anyway, and obviously many times by the look of it, then you DESERVE any discipline you get. This guy needs much much more than a slap on the wrist....thats what you deserve if you didnt know it was wrong, even when common sense said it wasnt right. I dont dive Cozumel to see eels that expect a feeding from every diver. Reminds me of when they were feeding grizzly bears in Montana several years ago. Then one night, 2 different bears mauled and killed two different campers. Wildlife is just that..wild. Teaching them to interact with us is dangerous, and often times not to the ones who taught it, but to innocent people who simply came to enjoy the place for its untamed beauty. Our God-given common sense is there for a reason. Maybe someone being made an example of would work? Sorry if that seems harsh, but I doubt anything less would do much.
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What a crock. I am all for a more zealous approach. If you know something is wrong to do, but you do it anyway, and obviously many times by the look of it, then you DESERVE any discipline you get. This guy needs much much more than a slap on the wrist....thats what you deserve if you didnt know it was wrong, even when common sense said it wasnt right. I dont dive Cozumel to see eels that expect a feeding from every diver. Reminds me of when they were feeding grizzly bears in Montana several years ago. Then one night, 2 different bears mauled and killed two different campers. Wildlife is just that..wild. Teaching them to interact with us is dangerous, and often times not to the ones who taught it, but to innocent people who simply came to enjoy the place for its untamed beauty. Our God-given common sense is there for a reason. Maybe someone being made an example of would work? Sorry if that seems harsh, but I doubt anything less would do much.
Exactly, keep the wildlife wild. I do a lot of work with both Grizzly and Black bears in the Alberta Rockies. I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of tourists (and some locals) who constantly approach the bears to either attempt to feed them or just try to get really close for that great photo opportunity. People forget the long term ramifications of such actions. Bears can easily get habituated to the presence of humans to the point where they don't seem to mind a human approaching. Catch that bear on a bad day however and you are in a very dangerous spot. Feeding bears is even worse. Once they get in their minds that humans supply food they will often approach hikers looking for handouts. Often they won't even ask, but will go straight for your backpack.
I don't know much about eels specifically, however I'm sure these same concepts apply to them as well. Sure feeding the eel today might be a thrill for the diver involved. However for the diver to follow who loses a finger because the eel is looking for a handout from a diver might not feel the same way.
I often carefully pick up scorpion fish to show new divers, I even grab a puffer or two (last night we shined a light under it's belly to make a "glowing fish ball". Last night my son and I also grabbed and gently handled a bat fish, various crabs, baby lobsters, arrow crabs and a bunch of maiting horseshoe crabs. We also frequently smash urchins to feed small fish. I know many people consider these activities "bad", but I do not.
However, feeding a dangerous eel like that is incredibly stupid. It will almost surely result in the eventual destruction of the eel when the inevitable accident happens.
With all due respect to your point of view, I recommend you research a little about puffer fish, did you know the amount of stress they have to go through to puff? Did you know it is hard for them to go back to normal and let all the air out? Did you know it is a "defense" mechanism when they feel danger they blow? Did you know they can do this so many times in their lifes? Have you seen their big huge eyes and maybe wonder if light not even direct may affect them? Again with all due respect they are not there to amuse or to put up a show for divers. Do you know how you affect the ecology whey you 'Smash" an urchin to feed other fish. And you show this to new divers???
I am not green peace but have been diving for 20 years and my own view is that subaquatic life are not pets, they do not like being pet or caressed like cats or dogs and nothing should be touched because that new diver being shown this "tricks"may try themselves some day to handle a scorpion fish and have a problem or come to me or others that think like I to demand these "tricks" when I take them diving, I had a family once say how great and impresive their instructor was because he had all subaquatic life let him touch it mentioning I was bad even when I showed them a sting ray feeding and a turtle that would not leave, one of them tried to grab it and it fled away, but like I said before I respect your view of the matter I just would not like a huge puffer fish handling me making me very nervous and hurting just to show his buddy puffer fish my reaction.....Dont take my word for it research about this.
In my humble opinion a great interaction is when I come near a Turtle, ray, shark or anything and it stays there not feeling threats allowing my divers to take great pictures without being held and I teach divers how to get subaquatic life to not feel threatened, so the puff fish will not just swim speeding away next time it spots divers.
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MIGUEL
PADI OWSI SPECIALTY INSTRUCTOR 166178
SSI INSTRUCTOR 48912
These 2 members have said "Thank you." to dive pro for this useful post:
What is amazing is not only that it happened, but they did it in front of a camera! It's one thing to do something clandestine on the sly - but in today's technological age??? WOW...
Personally, I am there to watch - I have no desire to touch anything - it might try to bite back!!
Don't be so amazed, video is taken to sell to the divers on that dive and take more advantage of the situation....and to show other divers how they can interact that helps them sell more diving....
and you are very right....WOW.
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MIGUEL
PADI OWSI SPECIALTY INSTRUCTOR 166178
SSI INSTRUCTOR 48912
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