Views on playing with or harrasing marine life

[jagfish]

Personally, I see that I am in the minority in the poll at this point, reasonable contact OK in my book. "Reasonable" is a judgement call and open to interpretation, but I liked Krowsea's comment.

How about the animal adventure programs on Animal Planet and Discovery. I feel that these "professionals" are much more intrusive than any amatuer I have witnessed.

I feel that the Croc hunter is way over the top, essentially encouraging others to be disrespectful and even dangerous with wildlife of all kinds in any environment. I have also been surprised at the Aquanauts show. Recently, I saw Manny (doobie brothers flashback?) with his arm stuck in a Jewfish Grouper at depth because he wanted to try and grab it. He was free diving at the time, endagered his life and a rare animal.

JAG

 

[tonyc]

Hands Off.

I'm trying to find words to describe these guys on a public forum......
Well there's yet another local dive shop I won't be visiting. I love downloading scuba vids from the net, but this is one I won't be keeping. I really like the rebreathers and stages, but really... lose those split fins and work on your trim. I think that as divers we are lucky to be able to experience the things we see. We should all respect the undersea world we get to escape to.

Tony.

 

[jagfish]

Good music, though...

I never hear that underwater

 

[Scott Riemer]

I watched the video and I feel they were out of line. A touch is one thing but the guy was restraining it. Which means he was holding on tight. I didn't think it was appropriate but I'm sure there are differing opinions out there.

 

[padiscubapro]

I watched the video and I feel they were out of line. A touch is one thing but the guy was restraining it. Which means he was holding on tight. I didn't think it was appropriate but I'm sure there are differing opinions out there.

There was one scene I think was a bit over the top ("riding" the shark - a little excessive for the animals size, but it does appear that the diver actually propelled himslef and not the shark dragging him), but he was doing nothing different than most videoographers do.. I have seen some really well known people do the same or worse, the difference is they just dont show it...
How do you think some of the great shots are taken.. without "restraining" some animals its impossible to get the shots..
I don't think the animals were stressed as badly as people are suggesting, especially since they didn't take off quickly after they were released.
In my eyes they were presenting it the ways things are normally done in real life and not showing the way people would like things to be done.

I think there are plenty of shows on TV (national geo, discovery, animal planet ect) that the people are doing much worse...

 

[sapphire]

I know Rusty and the shop. I watched the video. I think it went beyond getting something to "pose". I felt the animals were being restrained for far too long. It made me sad to see that level of interference/harrassment. I am not surprised, just sad. I do not believe it should have occurred, and I am appalled that they post it on their website.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[PnL]

This is a touchy area and I admit to having handled marine life while diving, not to the extent of what was shown in the video, but I have picked up sea cucumbers, sea stars, and urchins before (especially when I first started diving). However, I am pretty much hands off now; the more I dive, the more appreciation I get for what the underwater environment represents. But people will continue to spear fish, catch lobsters, poach abalone, etc. So I agree with Rusty that the harrassment of angel sharks falls well into these categories, but that doesn't make it the right thing to do.

The sad part about this whole thing is that SSA-Montclair is using this as advertisement to sell more boat trips (on rebreathers I assume) - they specifically state in the comments of the video (check the properties of the vid) that "This is why you should dive with SSA Montclair 9096214171 www.scubaschoolsofamrerica.com". The fact that he (Rusty) further suggests that there are three additional boat loads going for the same interaction with angel sharks is in bad taste. I don't think a shop should be encouraging this type of behavior and certainly NOT using it as a way of getting new cliental.

The video showed little of what the dive was supposed to be for - a training dive for rebreathers. It makes you wonder why they have to resort to such 'marketing' strategies to gain new clients instead of selling the diving on closed circuit on its own merit.

If you are concerned with this type of business practice you should let him know (politely, please) so he is aware of how the diving public feels about this type of behavior.

 

[tonyc]

Well how about teaching your new students to cut up urchins and feed them to the girabaldi as part of your basic underwater class? Shouldn't diving be somewhat ecofriendly? How is this teaching them to respect the environment? Some people don't deserve to dive. Do they not think this has ramifications on the ocean? I'm appalled by them. I wonder what SSI feels about this since they are their certifying agency?

Tony.

 

[pasley]

Well how about teaching your new students to cut up urchins and feed them to the girabaldi as part of your basic underwater class? Shouldn't diving be somewhat ecofriendly? ...

I also frown on cutting up urchins. I have never done it, never will. I carry a dive knife, but it is strickly for cutting fishing line or kelp, if for some reason I could not break it.

I am told that the last thing the urchins do is release eggs into the water and therefore make more of the pesky kelp eating monsters.

 

[gj62]

Well how about teaching your new students to cut up urchins and feed them to the girabaldi as part of your basic underwater class? Shouldn't diving be somewhat ecofriendly? ...

I also frown on cutting up urchins. I have never done it, never will. I carry a dive knife, but it is strickly for cutting fishing line or kelp, if for some reason I could not break it.

I am told that the last thing the urchins do is release eggs into the water and therefore make more of the pesky kelp eating monsters.

It's fine to observe your own sense of what you should do, etc. Commercial urchin fishing has a much more significant effect than divers ever will feeding garibaldi. On a good day, my buddy and I could fill a 21' boat 3' deep with urchins. Pasley - the garibaldis will eat eggs, btw...

So yes, I fed urchins to garibaldis, showed students how to eat scallops raw underwater, coaxed the occasional eel out to play, etc. Is Rusty over the top? Probably, but he also appears immune to peer pressure given his email response to other forums.

Bottom line, I think a strict hands-off policy is a bit extreme, and goes along the lines of the "no zoos, no aquarium, no circus, vegan-only" thinking. Hey, if that's your thing, fine. I happen to disagree. The problem is that once you make this non black-and-white, it is difficult to decide how far to go. Some people will always take it to extremes, but hopefully that will be a relative few...