Men ‘surfing’ on back of whale shark in video 'should be charged’

Conservationists have called for two men to be prosecuted after footage emerged of them 'surfing’ on the back of a rare whale shark. The three-minute video shows the pair standing on the giant fish while being towed by a speedboat as people on board laugh and cheer them on. Whale sharks, which are the largest fish in the sea, reaching lengths of more than 40ft (12 meters), are protected and classed as “vulnerable” to extinction. Marine activists heavily criticised the men for their “stupidity and arrogance”.

What a sad reflection on their attitude to wildlife when, instead of considering themselves fortunate to see this majestic creature in the wild, they choose to participate in a stupid stunt like this.

London-based wildlife group Marine Connection

London-based wildlife group Marine Connection posted the clip online in the hope the men can be identified and “brought to justice”. “Wildlife harassment is never a laughing matter,” it said. The group added: “As whale sharks are protected - the IUCN (World Conservation Union) Red List of Threatened Species lists the whale shark as vulnerable - these guys should be charged.” Marine Connection believes the stunt was filmed in Venezuela - partly due to the type of Spanish men on the boat are speaking. It said the footage was posted on a Facebook account in Venezuela earlier this month, and was later deleted. Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) feed on plankton and live in tropical seas, migrating every spring to the central west coast of Australia. Despite being a vulnerable species, they are still hunted in parts of Asia.

This is disgusting and these men need to punished. It is absolutely unacceptable to treat an endangered species in such an ignorant way.

Facebook poster Bridget C Hall

Americas whale shark surfing