Footage showing the moment a New Zealand man leapt into the water right next to a killer whale was roundly condemned.
The video showed a man standing on a boat before jumping into the water and bodyslamming into the sea right next to an orca, with authorities thinking he made a deliberate attempt to make contact with the animal.
The man had been sailing off the coast of Devonport, Auckland, in February when an adult male killer whale and calf were swimming by.
Advert
New Zealand's Department of Conservation posted the footage to Instagram, along with a declaration that the man had been fined NZ$600 (£288) for his actions.
They also announced in a statement that they'd been receiving calls at the time it happened from people concerned that some people were getting too close to the animals.
They also confirmed that a member of the public tipped them off about the video, which showed a 50-year-old man jumping into the water near the orcas.
At one point in the footage, he declared 'I touched it', while asking others on the boat whether they'd successfully filmed the encounter, resulting in them laughing and cheering.
Advert
Speaking about the incident, DOC Principal Investigation Officer Hayden Loper said: "The video left us genuinely stunned.
"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.
"This is stupid behaviour and demonstrates a shocking disregard for the welfare of the orca. It is extremely irresponsible.
"Orca are immensely powerful animals, and this really could have ended horribly – with either the startled whale being injured, or the man responsible being harmed by the aggravated animal.
Advert
"It’s a very clear breach of the Marine Mammals Protection Act. Orca are classified as whales under conservation legislation and it is illegal to swim with whales, or disturb or harass any marine mammal."
Their staff said there had been incidents where wild orca were seen as having attacked humans, and the threat to people getting too close to these animals is not zero.
Sudden moves near the orca are considered to be particularly dangerous.
There are estimated to be between 150 and 200 killer whales in New Zealand's waters, and disturbance by boats is seen as a threat to their wellbeing.
Advert
According to Hayden, it's also the 'third time in recent years' where they've caught someone via content shared on social media.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/docgovtnzTopics: Animals, World News, Instagram
Joe Harker