‘Stupid behavior’: New Zealand man fined for trying to ‘body slam’ orca
(WJW) – A New Zealand man faces fines after video surfaced on social media a few months ago of someone attempting to body slam a killer whale.
According to the New Zealand Department of Conservation, the investigation stemmed from a video posted to Instagram in February.
The video, taken off the coast of Devonport, Auckland, shows a man leap from a boat in what appears to be an attempt to land on or “body slam” the orca in the water.
“I touched it!” the man said in the video, followed by cheers and laughter from others onboard.
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The 50-year-old suspect faces a $600 fine.
The Department of Conservation shared the video on Facebook this week. DOC Principal Investigation Officer Hayden Loper said the video left them stunned, calling the behavior “shocking” and “stupid.”
“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,” Loper said in a press release. “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.”
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According to the Department of Conservation, there are roughly 150 to 200 orcas around the New Zealand area. NOAA Fisheries reports there are about 50,000 killer whales, known as the “ocean’s top predator,” in the world.
The department urges anyone who witnesses similar cases or any incident breaching New Zealand conservation legislation to contact authorities.
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