Riding marine life

[Walter]

I fail to see what is so silly about setting out on every dive to not touch anything.

It's silly because there's no reason for the rule. If you don't like to touch things, don't touch them. If you aren't sure if touching a particular animal will harm you or the animal, that's a great reason not to touch. If you don't touch anything because you think all touching is harmful, then you've simply been misinformed. If, on the other hand, you educate yourself about what can be safely touched and how to safely touch, then following a blanket rule to never touch is silly in the extreme. I know what I can touch. I know how to touch. I know when to touch. I know when not to touch. I know what not to touch. There are some things about which I'm unsure. Those critters, I don't touch. Stop. Think. Act. Don't follow any rule blindly.

 

[drbill]

I don't think riding any of the marine life is a good idea and should be avoided but I don't take things to the extreme and say "Never touch anything" either.

What BDSC said.

I occasionally touch critters that, as a marine biologist, I feel pretty certain can "handle" it. I may do this to inspect features or to reposition them slightly for video. Harassment is a totally different thing.

Jean-Michel Cousteau once rode the fin of a great white. I doubt it bothered the shark very much. If it had, the shark would have turned around and munched him! Personally I wouldn't ride another critter unless I had an invitation from it to do so. I'll stick to hitching riders on other, unsuspecting divers.

 

[ScubaSteve]

It's silly because there's no reason for the rule. If you don't like to touch thimgs, don't touch them. If you aren't sure if touching a particular animal will harm you or the animal, that's a great reason not to touch. If you don't touch anything because you think all touching is harmful, then you've simply been misinformed. If, on the other hand, you educate yourself about what can be safely touched and how to safely touch, then following a blanket rule to never touch is silly in the extreme. I know what I can touch. I know how to touch. I know when to touch. I know when not to touch. I know what not to touch. There are some things about which I'm unsure. Those critters, I don't touch. Stop. Think. Act. Don't follow any rule blindly.

I am not following anything blindly. I have made my own decision to go out of my way to not touch anything (unless it is unavoidable) for my own reasons. Safe for them or not. It is idiotic (bordering on moronic IMO) to call me silly for diving this way. You have no clue as to why I choose to dive this way yet you feel the need to call me silly. But then being presumptuous has never stopped many people on SB.

 

[TMHeimer]

NWG & NetDoc, Amen to both posts. We have good ideas these last 2 decades. It's unfortunate so many get carried away and take them to such extremes.

 

[TSandM]

I generally figure that any animal which exhibits an attempt to defend itself or to get away from me is stressed by my presence. I'm not sure nudibranchs have enough of a nervous system to be stressed by being "repositioned" for photographs; the same goes for sea cucumbers (if they don't egest their stomachs, they aren't too scared). I have been known to pick up red rock and Dungeness crabs to show to students, but since I also catch and eat them, refusing to touch them because they might be stressed by it seems kind of hypocritical.

It would be my guess that a sea turtle or dolphin or whale shark, interacting once with humans and being touched or ridden, might be lightly stressed but would quickly recover. If any encounter with a potential predator were so stressful that an organism couldn't survive it, not much in the sea would live very long! What would worry me is animals which live where there are many divers, and would be subjected to such stresses repeatedly. Trying to exist in a very high stress environment takes a toll on anything (including humans).

Offers to interact from sea creatures are wonderful and unusual treats. Whether it's having one's fins nibbled by seals (not uncommon here) or having one's camera stolen by an octopus, or being encircled by a wolf eel like the one that tried to eat my husband's fingers, it's something to be relished. But not something, in my view, to be inflicted on the unwilling.

 

[Walter]

Steve, I didn't say you were silly.

I said, "I do not have a blanket rule to never touch (there's no reason for such a silly rule)."

You replied, "I fail to see what is so silly about setting out on every dive to not touch anything. What is silly about it."

I thought you might be asking a question about why such a rule could be silly. I responded with my reasoning. In that response I said, "If you don't like to touch things, don't touch them." That should have made you realize I wasn't calling you, or anyone who chooses not to touch, silly. I'm sorry I wasn't clear.

Those who believe others should follow their rules about not touching are not silly, but are rude and should mind their own business.

 

[Zippsy]

giggle giggle Bob. I did report the dive pro to his agency. If I can get further proof, I'll turn it over to the relevant police too. Whether they prosecute or not is up to them. Can I therefore stay on my high horse?

 

[Mikemccrsa]

Being inexperienced I take the view that my ignorance could very well hurt me or the creature so I adopt a "no touch" rule for everything. This I think would fly out the window if I found myself in a situation where it became absolutely necessary but I have managed to avoid it so far.

I am sure that with knowledge I will become less fearful of making contact, ironically at the same time as becoming more skilled in avoiding accidental contact. In the future I think that unless there is something important to be learned I will continue to refrain from initiating contact but each to their own I suppose.

 

[Zippsy]

What BDSC said.

I occasionally touch critters that, as a marine biologist, I feel pretty certain can "handle" it. I may do this to inspect features or to reposition them slightly for video. Harassment is a totally different thing.

Jean-Michel Cousteau once rode the fin of a great white. I doubt it bothered the shark very much. If it had, the shark would have turned around and munched him! Personally I wouldn't ride another critter unless I had an invitation from it to do so. I'll stick to hitching riders on other, unsuspecting divers.

My vote for reply of the day!

 

[ScubaSteve]

Thanks Walter. Definitely a misunderstanding. For me, unless it is unavoidable, I will rarely try to touch anything unless there is a purpose and a reason. "Just to touch" is not usually part of my vocabulary.

I will not aggressively pursue anybody I see touching marine life. I will point out what someone is doing if they are kicking the reef (or laying on the bottom). A diver aggressively handling a marine life form of any sort is likely to hear from me. If they are simply trying to touch something and are not obviously doing any harm, while I may not agree, I would likely not mention it. I have a video somewhere of a DM hanging on to a small reef shark by the tail as it lazily swayed back and forth. It was not seemingly trying to break free. It lasted about 10 seconds and then the shark shook and took off. It was not being held stong....it was easy for it to get away. Do I agree with what the DM did? No. Did I give him a blast? No. The shark was not apparently in distress and obviously got away easily so I figure....his style, his choice.

I have dove with Mantas and loved every second of sitting mid water column filming them go by.....touching never crossed my mind. I have never dove with a whale shark so I cannot say, but if it came close enough.....who knows.

Steve, I didn't say you were silly.

I said, "I do not have a blanket rule to never touch (there's no reason for such a silly rule)."

You replied, "I fail to see what is so silly about setting out on every dive to not touch anything. What is silly about it."

I thought you might be asking a question about why such a rule could be silly. I responded with my reasoning. In that response I said, "If you don't like to touch things, don't touch them." That should have made you realize I wasn't calling you, or anyone who chooses not to touch, silly. I'm sorry I wasn't clear.

Those who believe others should follow their rules about not touching are not silly, but are rude and should mind their own business.