ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - Stupid people may soon have the benefit of protection under Australian law, said the environment minister for the state of South Australia.
Iain Evans reacted with anger and dismay to reports sightseers had made their way out to a dead whale floating in the ocean, climbed on its back – and patted sharks as they tore off chunks of whale flesh.
"I am appalled by the bizarre behaviour," Evans said after television showed film of the tourists' reckless escapades.
The southern right whale died of natural causes late last week, and was immediately attacked by at least a dozen great white sharks in a feeding frenzy.
Australian law prevents anyone from approaching within 100 metres of a live whale, but says nothing about dead whales in the water. Tour boat operators took advantage of the unusual situation and began ferrying dozens of customers out to see the whale.
Media reports said that among the people who climbed onto the back of the whale to get a close-up look at the sharks in action was a man carrying a young child.
"It is clear the state government will need to look at changing the law in order to protect people too stupid to protect themselves," said Evans. He wants to amend the law to include an exclusion zone around whales dead in the water.

http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2001/07/24/oz_whalewatching010724

A telling indictment of our modern ecological education system, when these idiots think a great white shark is bambi..

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001

Answers

Don't any of them remember the movie "Jaws"? Must've been before their time.

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001

See also here http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=005rf6

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001

I almost fell outta my chair last night at work when I heard this on the news.

LOL

I thought they said the whale had been hit by a ship, though.

I'm just trying to figure out how the tourboat operators were advertising those day trips.

"Come ride with us to walk on a dead whale and pet sharks while they eat it."

Real enticing. Yech!

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001