A Male was A fine was imposed With 600 New Zealand Dollars (approx. 385 USD) after trial.Manage” to A killer sharkAccording to reports from Defense Department (Doc) nNew Zealand.
The man, identified as a man in his 50s, captured on video what authorities described as “a stupid act.” In turn, the clip was shared through social networks; So, after investigation, the authorities identified and located the person.
Experts deplore this behavior because it could have serious consequences for the person responsible and for marine mammals whose behavior can be radically altered by human interactions.
A video of the man attacking the orca was shared on Instagram in February, DOC officials said in a press release.
The events took place in the sea off Devonport Beach in Auckland. Department officials called the situation a “planned attempt to touch or ‘hit’ the orca.”
Both the harbor master and DOC members received calls that weekend from members of the public concerned about the man’s well-being.
Senior officer in charge of the investigation, Hayden Loper, said the man showed reckless disregard for his own safety and that of the adult male orca by swimming near the boat with the calf.
“The video really stunned us. In addition to the initial attempt to dive on the animal, the man was in the water and then swam back towards it in a second attempt to touch it,” Loper said.
During the clip, the man can be seen launching himself at the marine mammal, then in celebration shouting “I touched it” and “You got it?” You can also see asking. To the rest of the crew still on the pleasure boat, to ensure that their “exploits” were recorded.
Loper called the man’s actions “stupid behavior” and a “shocking disregard for the orca’s well-being.”
“It’s very reckless. Orcas are very powerful animals and it could have ended really badly, a surprised whale could have been injured or a human could have been injured by an irritated cetacean,” the official said.
According to Loper, these actions represent a “very clear violation” of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as they are classified as whales under the Conservation Act, and it is illegal to swim with these species and harass marine life.
The department’s marine science experts noted that incidents of wild killer whales attacking humans have been “felt”, including recent incidents off the coast of Spain.
In this event the pod sank several small boats. “Any sudden movement near orcas poses a significant risk to the population,” DOC officials said in the statement.
“This is the third case in recent years where social media content has led to a successful prosecution for DOC, and we greatly appreciate the tips we’ve received from the public,” celebrated Loper.
The official recommended that social media users in the country continue to alert relevant authorities of content they find and “consider to be in breach of New Zealand Wildlife Protection Act”.
Hannah Hendricks, the department’s maritime technical adviser, told the British newspaper Guardian Contact with herds can damage their sensitive fins and affect their normal behaviors such as resting, feeding and socializing.
“This can have long-term impacts on survival and reproductive success, while repeated disturbances can cause animals to avoid an area,” he stressed.
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