A 50-year-old thrill seeker sparked outrage after he was filmed “body slamming” an orca by falling on it from a boat. New Zealand while his friends cheered him on.
Video of the cruel act showed the Auckland man, who was later fined $600 for his actions, jumping from a boat into the sea off the coast of Devonport. where two orcas swam.
The disturbing images were published on instagram in February and sparked anger among animal-loving viewers who later reported the clip to the Department of Conservation.
In the minute-long video, the sea creature’s fins can be seen poking out of the water as they relax and appear carefree in their natural habitat.
The man, dressed in a black swimsuit, can be seen preparing for the launch as he balances on the edge of the boat and looks out into the water.
A 50-year-old Auckland man was filmed attempting to “punch” an orca off the coast of Davenport, New Zealand, in February.
Shocking footage captured the moment his body hit the water near where two whales were swimming before disappearing.
It moves its arms back and forth and crouches, preparing to pounce directly on the pair of top predators.
Suddenly, he throws his entire body into the sea while keeping his arms outstretched in front of him as his body crashes into the water.
A large splash can be seen after the impact of their horizontal body hitting the water and the orcas appear frightened as they stir and disappear.
The cruel man can be seen bobbing in the water and swimming back to the boat as two of his friends cheer him on.
The man shouted, “I touched it” to other people on the boat and then asked, “Did you get it?”, in apparent reference to the footage of his antics.
One of his friends, dressed in a red swimsuit, laughs at the camera while holding a half-empty beer bottle in his hand.
Another man is seen dipping his fingers into the surface of the water, in what appears to be an attempt to lure the creatures towards the group of men.
The 50-year-old man who dove into the orca’s space swims toward the black and white creatures who had cautiously approached again.
The pair of predators were filmed swimming in circles around the man who did not appear fazed by their reckless and dangerous actions.
Following the release of the video, Department of Conservation research director Hayden Loper said it showed a shocking attitude towards protected marine animals.
After apparently chasing away the top predators, the man’s friend could be seen dipping his fingers into the water, apparently trying to bring the orcas back to the group.
After a while, the pair of orcas returned to the group and the man who jumped into the water could still be seen swimming.
The man was filmed trying to reach out and touch the creatures even after his cruel “body slam” act.
“The video really stunned us,” he said.
“In addition to the initial attempt to dive over the animal, the man remains in the water and then swims towards it again in a second attempt to touch it.”
Loper called the act “extremely irresponsible” and added that “this is stupid behavior and shows a shocking disregard for the orca’s well-being.”
The unnamed man was fined a staggering $600 for the incident that “really could have ended horribly,” according to Loper.
He was identified with the help of police and allegedly refused to speak or give an explanation when Loper and another colleague went to his home to speak with him about the incident.
“Orcas are immensely powerful animals, and this really could have ended horribly, with the surprised whale being injured or the man responsible being injured by the angry animal,” he said.
‘It is a very clear violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Law.
“Orcas are classed as whales under conservation legislation and it is illegal to swim with whales, or molest or harass any marine mammal.”
Loper urged social media users to continue to alert the Department of Conservation about content posted online that they believe breaches legislation protecting New Zealand’s wildlife.
“This is the third case in recent years where social media content has led to a successful DoC prosecution and we greatly appreciate the tips we received from the public,” he said.
However, he said this was the first time a person had jumped into the water on or near an orca, filmed it and then posted it on social media.
‘We often get notices from the public about things posted on social media regarding actions around marine mammals, but just a boat or a jet ski getting too close, or a drone flying too close, and other things like that.’
