A 50-year-old New Zealand man captured on viral video body slamming a killer whale off a boat was fined $600 for the dangerous stunt.
According to the Department of Conservation, the man jumped "from a pleasure boat into the sea off the coast of Devonport, Auckland – in what appears to be a deliberate effort to touch or 'body slam' the orca," officials said Tuesday.
The adult male orca was swimming with a calf near the vessel when the man dove in.
NEW: 50-year-old man fined $600 for bodyslamming a Killer Whale off the coast of New Zealand.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 21, 2024
The orca was swimming with a calf when the man decided to jump off the boat.
"I touched it!" the man said.
According to the Department of Conservation, the man could have been… pic.twitter.com/8I4Pj9IRL7
"I touched it," he yelled to other people on the boat. "Did you get it?" he asked about the filming of his antics, which were met by their cheers.
DOC officials called the unidentified man's actions a reflection of his "shocking and stupid attitude to protected marine mammals."
"The video left us genuinely stunned," DOC Principal Investigator Hayden Loper said. "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 behavior 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," added Loper.
"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."
The video was first shared to Instagram in February and the DOC were recently tipped off by a member of the public.
"This is the third case in recent years in which social media content has led to a successful prosecution for DOC and we greatly appreciate the tip-offs we get from the public," said Loper.
There's estimated to be about 150 to 200 orca swimming around New Zealand waters.
