Photos of tourist divers touching a fearsome great white shark have taken the Internet by storm this week.
Russian diver Dmitry Vasyanovich, 47, posted the pictures on Facebook, saying he took them on a recent dive near Guadalupe Island off Mexico’s Baja peninsula, a popular spot for the controversial practice of cage diving.
In the photos, the divers can be seen luring sharks close by dangling chunks of meat, a practice that some conservationists have criticized as interfering with the natural behavior of wild animals.
The dive tour organizer of the Guadalupe Great White Sharks tours appears to agree, saying on its website: “Mexican park regulations require that you stay within the cages at all times including keeping your arms, hands and cameras inside. Feeding the sharks … is strictly prohibited.”
Touching or feeding this giant predator not only brings serious risks for the divers, but also puts the sharks in danger, for it could teach them to associate people with food, scientists say.
The viral photo has stirred debate over the ethics of cage diving, and it may also be an inspiring lesson for the emerging diving industry in China. According to a Xinhua report, Chinese people now pay for more than 1.5 million diving experiences annually. But before you take a dive, it’s better to think about the Dos and Don’ts first.
No comments:
Post a Comment