Some people just have to make it all about them. For one very unlucky group of passengers on a tour boat, that meant a prime whale-watching opportunity was ruined by a cohort of rule-breaking jet skiers shamelessly hogging the views and the moment.
The Orange County Outdoors Instagram account (@orangecountyoutdoors) shared the frustrating footage and was unsparing with its critique of the boaters.
Per the caption, a passenger took the video from a professional whale-watching boat. Several jet skiers navigate recklessly close to a whale, ruining the tour group's vantage point while flagrantly breaking the rules.
For one thing, the Marine Mammal Protection Act provides federal protection for whales from acts of harassment. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration dictates that boaters should stay at least 100 yards away from whales. Clearly, the jet skiers didn't get the memo.
The guidelines also instruct boaters to avoid chasing them or navigating directly behind or to the side of them. In the video, all of those maneuvers are on display from the array of boaters.
Outside of breaking the rules and endangering themselves and the whales, the selfish behavior takes away what should be a bucket-list moment for many whale-watchers on the boat.
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The Orange County Outdoors account specifically accused the boaters of tailing the pro boats and essentially mooching off of their work to find the best spots. While that can't be proven definitively, there's no question that the professional boat is following the rules, and these boaters are not.
Although there were no collisions between the whales and the boaters, these unfortunate events do occur, like in the Jersey Shore this summer. Researchers are trying to do everything they can, including using satellites to track and expose the dangers whales face from humans on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, tourists can pose a major danger to them, especially when they don't follow guidelines designed to protect the species. Whales are critical to the health of the marine environment, which underscores the importance of proper enforcement of measures like the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Commenters on Instagram sounded off on the jet skiers.
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Often 😇 "These people think because they have money the rules don't apply to them," one poster suggested.
Multiple commenters lobbied for fines or jail time for the offenses.
"Nothing will ever change unless people start reporting people doing stuff like this," a user remarked.
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