Shark Petting Zoo
2001 Honorable Mention
Confirmed True by Darwin
A ban on approaching dead whales is ill-advised not because it saves the stupid, but because it prohibits more cautious people from closely observing the fascinating spectacle of a shark feeding frenzy. There's nothing dangerous about watching such a scene from a boat--if you remember to keep your limbs away from the predators.
(23 July 2001, Australia) The carcass of a dead whale attracted more than hungry sharks. Local boat operators took advantage of the macabre spectacle and ferried dozens of curious customers to the floating feast near Cape Jervis, 100 kilometers south of Adelaide. As great white sharks ripped hunks of flesh from the gigantic dead mammal, spectators took leave of their senses and reached into the water to pet their snouts. Some even climbed onto the back of the floating meal, one carrying his child for a closer look at the feeding frenzy."These creatures are not toys," said Environment Minister Iain Evans. "I am shocked at disrespect for their own safety." He added that the government would consider changing the law in order to protect people too stupid to protect themselves. Since people are forbidden from approaching living whales, authorities contemplate extending the 100-meter exclusion zone to dead whales in order to save gawkers from themselves.
The Southern Right Whale died from natural causes.
