sphyrnidus
Contributor
[video=youtube_share;yhsyediGdHc]http://youtu.be/yhsyediGdHc[/video]
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The person in the video doesn't quite get it.....at least not the philosophy I adhere to......
Watch the video again, and see how the shark's movement and behavior changes once the freediver has latched onto its dorsal fin. Regardless of your opinion about what is and isn't acceptable, you cannot deny that the shark does not want the diver there - or it wouldn't switch from its usual streamlined, effortless swimming technique to bending and twisting so sharply the way it does in efforts to lose its unwanted passenger. So to say that this has no negative effect is therefore wishful thinking. The process clearly caused stress for the shark, as if it was indeed unfazed by what was happening, it would have continued its passage without such a pronounced change in its behavior and movement through the water. Its evident from this video however, that this was not the case.
I hope you've never taken a boat out, because you'd be guilty of a lot worse animal behavior modification just by riding along the surface of the ocean for any length of time. Whether the shark was pleased to have the diver attached to it is irrelevant. The diver caused it no meaningful harm - quite unlike certain fishermen in SE Asia. Try cleaning up your own backyard before worrying about whether it's better to look without touching.
The person in the video doesn't quite get it.....at least not the philosophy I adhere to......