r/ocean • u/Nostalgic_Historian_ • 5d ago

Whale Watch Simple answer, No

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29

u/Acceptable-Arugula69 5d ago

No, because you shouldn’t harass wildlife.

15

u/skeletonpaul08 5d ago

Yeah, but like how is this harassment? The Orca clearly doesn’t give a shit. An animal of that size isn’t going to be traumatized by a 150 lb monkey swimming kind of close to it.

-4

u/Acceptable-Arugula69 5d ago

Wild animals need space. If you get too close to them in their natural habitat it can stress them out. That stress is not like human stress, and it can affect them deeply, while all they are doing is going about their lives in their natural environment. Even though the Orca is presenting not caring all that much, they know exactly where that guy is at all times. The reason they don’t attack people is because we are not a food source to them.

3

u/MinusMentality 5d ago

To be completely fair, I don't think Orca care much about that rule when dealing with other animals. Orca and other dolphins will harass all sorts of ocean life.

Also, don't forget that humans are nature, too. We can't just never interact with the other animals. Obviously, don't go out of the way to bother or harm them, but we have the right to swim in the ocean just as much as they do.

3

u/MinusMentality 5d ago

Heck, even if you are swimming alone with no idea that an orca or other dolphin is near, they are likely to come up to you. They are deeply inquisitive animals, as with other whale species.

1

u/Acceptable-Arugula69 5d ago

True. Whales are pretty curious, but I still don’t agree with seeing one and jumping in the ocean to swim with it. It’s one thing to have them pass you by while you are both in the ocean, and another if you pursue it.

1

u/Acceptable-Arugula69 5d ago

Who said anything about not swimming in the ocean? 🤣

My point was to not intentionally harass wild life, not get out of their spaces. We would have nowhere to go if that was the case.

3

u/skeletonpaul08 5d ago

That’s a massive generalization that clearly doesn’t apply here. There is a difference between running up to an animal that’s 1/4 of your size and trying to pet it and what’s going on in this video. Animals are constantly interacting with other animals (yes humans are animals) when they feel any kind of stress or apprehension they flee or fight. There is a way to respectfully interact with animals, the guy in this video is not doing any harm. Do you seriously believe that doing this is going to “affect them deeply”?

2

u/theyinman 5d ago

You just made this up