Current:Home > InvestNew Zealand man filmed trying to "body slam" killer whale in "shocking and stupid" incident -Infinite Edge Capital
New Zealand man filmed trying to "body slam" killer whale in "shocking and stupid" incident
View
Date:2025-04-14 12:00:01
New Zealand officials have fined a man hundreds of dollars for what they say was a display of "shocking and stupid attitude" after he was filmed jumping off a boat in an attempt to "body slam" an orca who was swimming near a calf.
In a news release Tuesday, New Zealand's Department of Conservation said that it was made aware of a video posted on Instagram in February that shows the 50-year-old man committing the act. The department said he was off the coast of Devonport, Auckland, when the video was taken, "in what appears to be a deliberate effort to touch or 'body slam' the orca."
"At one point in the video the man yells 'I touched it' to the other people on the boat, before asking 'did you get it?', in apparent reference to the filming of his antics," the department said. "Other people aboard the vessel laugh and cheer as they watch."
This action, they added, "showed reckless disregard for his own safety – and that of the adult male orca with a calf swimming near the vessel."
"The video left us genuinely stunned," said Hayden Loper, the principal investigation officer at the Department of Conservation.
"As well as the initial attempt to dive onto the animal, the man stays in the water and then swims toward it again in a second attempt to touch it," said Loper. "This is stupid behaviour [sic] and demonstrates a shocking disregard for the welfare of the orca. It is extremely irresponsible."
Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, are the largest members of the dolphin family and are considered "nationally critical" in New Zealand, meaning they are "facing an immediate high risk of extinction." No more than 200 of the animals are estimated to roam the country's waters, with vessel traffic posing a major threat. Swimming with the marine mammals or disturbing them in any way, is illegal.
Given recent incidents off the coast of Spain in which orcas have sunk vessels, as well as the sheer massive size of the animals – they can become nearly 30 feet long – the DOC said this situation could have ended horribly for the man involved. "Any sudden moves" near the animals could risk the chance of harm, they said.
"Orca are immensely powerful animals, and this really could have ended horribly – with their the startled whale being injured, or the man responsible being harmed by the aggravated animal," Loper said.
The Auckland man has since been hit with a $600 fine, as the department said he committed an act that "displays a shocking and stupid attitude to protected marine mammals." The whales involved in the incident don't appear to have suffered significant harm or disturbance, the department said on social media.
- In:
- Endangered Species
- New Zealand
- orca
Li Cohen is a senior social media producer at CBS News. She previously wrote for amNewYork and The Seminole Tribune. She mainly covers climate, environmental and weather news.
TwitterveryGood! (3458)
Related
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- An all-electric police fleet? California city replaces all gas-powered police cars.
- Video tutorial: How to reduce political, other unwanted ads on YouTube, Facebook and more
- Florida county approves deal to build a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Ex-clients of Social Security fraudster Eric Conn won’t owe back payments to government
- Olympics 2024: Suni Lee and Jordan Chiles React to Simone Biles Shading MyKayla Skinner
- 'Tortillas save lives': Watch Texas family save orphaned baby bird named Taquito
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- City lawyers offer different view about why Chicago police stopped man before fatal shooting
Ranking
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Boeing names new CEO as it posts a loss of more than $1.4 billion in second quarter
- Meyerbeer’s ‘Le Prophète’ from 1849 sounds like it’s ripped-from-the-headlines at Bard SummerScape
- Charity Lawson recalls 'damaging' experience on 'DWTS,' 'much worse' than 'Bachelorette'
- McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
- Tish Cyrus and Noah Cyrus Put on United Front After Dominic Purcell Rumors
- Another Chinese Olympic doping scandal hurts swimmers who play by the rules
- Drone video shows freight train derailing in Iowa near Glidden, cars piling up: Watch
Recommendation
Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
Selena Gomez Reacts to Claim Her Younger Self Would Never Get Engaged to Benny Blanco
With the funeral behind them, family of the firefighter killed at the Trump rally begins grieving
Three Facilities Contribute Half of Houston’s Chemical Air Pollution
FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
US-Mexico border arrests are expected to drop 30% in July to a new low for Biden’s presidency
South Carolina Supreme Court rules state death penalty including firing squad is legal
Ozzy Osbourne apologizes to Britney Spears for mocking her dance videos: 'I'm so sorry'