A man in New Zealand has been fined for a video he posted on social media that shows him trying to “body slam” an orca swimming next to his boat.
The New Zealand Department of Conservation shared the news in a video this week, saying that the social media post, which it called “stupid” and “extremely irresponsible,” was posted on Instagram in February by a 50-year-old Auckland man.
According to the department, the man jumped off the boat into waters off the coast of Auckland, where the adult male orca and its calf were swimming nearby.
The man could be heard yelling, “I touched it!” to other people on the boat before asking, “Did you get that?” to the person filming from the boat.
The man then tries to touch the animal again as others onboard the boat can be heard laughing and cheering.
In a statement on Tuesday, principal investigation officer Hayden Loper shared that the video was brought to the department’s attention by a member of the public and left officials “stunned.”
“This is stupid behavior and demonstrates a shocking disregard for the welfare of the orca. It is extremely irresponsible,” Loper said in a statement on Tuesday.
Loper also clarified that it is illegal in New Zealand to swim with killer whales as they are protected in the country.
“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,” he said.
For his actions, the man, who was not named by the department, was fined 600 New Zealand dollars, which equates to about $365.