A man in San Diego, California, was spotted swimming with orcas right after jumping off a boat. He was accused of doing so illegally, but the clip instead sparked heated debates about freedom. The law, however, is pretty straightforward: no swimming with orcas.
Maddy Mermaid, who describes herself as a “mediocre surfer” and is a marine biologist, shared the clip attached above. Her content focuses heavily on marine life and her profession, often going viral. The orca swimming video was no exception, as it garnered 657,400 views, 17,700 likes, and more than 3,600 comments.
The 39-second clip features the California man already in the water. Everyone still on the boats laughed at the situation, only to be shocked when the man began swimming toward the orcas in the background.
“Oh, my god. Holy [expletive]. No [expletive] way. You can’t do that,” two women sitting on the boat said out loud. One of them asked, “Who let him do that?” and a man pointed at one of the boats. Meanwhile, the swimmer continued his journey toward the orcas.
Maddy Mermaid accused the man of illegally jumping on the water to swim with orcas. In the clip’s description, she said that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and officials had been contacted. She also added, ‘Internet, do you thang!“
Internet Sides With The Swimming Man
Instead, the internet sided with the California man. Many viewers believed Maddy Mermaid was exaggerating and that there was nothing wrong with what the man did.
“This ocean is illegal to swim in?” one viewer asked sarcastically. Another one commented, “Why are you hall monitoring the ocean? Once in a lifetime to swim with orcas.” A third one wrote, “I don’t get people. Humans have been swimming in the sea for years! It’s our planet, too.”
Seeing the response to her video, Maddy Mermoid posted a follow-up. There, she mentioned the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits the harassment or taking of any marine mammal. She explained that she was aboard a licensed whale-watching boat at the time, “respectfully observing the orcas from a distance.”
“After a certain point in time, the orcas decided to get a little bit curious about us and come take a closer look. At that point, we had killed our engines,” she said.
Moments later, another boat, which was not a licensed one, cut them off, and the man seen in the video jumped into the water, she said. Maddy called this action the very definition of harassment detailed in the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Reactions
This second video also had its own detractors. One said, “Oh, give it up. Apex predators such as the orca pose no harm to a human.” Another one added, “It’s giving YAWN. Let the man swim.”
However, other viewers appreciated Maddy’s input and agreed with her. One wrote, “Thank you so much for sharing this! People’s lack of respect for wildlife is wild to me.” Another one said, “The fact that people don’t get this is crazy to me.”
The swimming man has not been identified. It is unclear whether he will face any consequences for his orca adventure.
