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New Zealand man filmed trying to “body slam” killer whale in “shocking and stupid” incident
New Zealand officials have fined a man hundreds of dollars for what they say was a display of “shocking and stupid attitude” after he was filmed jumping off a boat in an attempt to “body slam” an orca who was swimming near a calf.
In a news release Tuesday, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation said that it was made aware of a video posted on Instagram in February that shows the 50-year-old man committing the act. The department said he was off the coast of Devonport, Auckland, when the video was taken, “in what appears to be a deliberate effort to touch or ‘body slam’ the orca.”
“At one point in the video the man yells ‘I touched it’ to the other people on the boat, before asking ‘did you get it?’, in apparent reference to the filming of his antics,” the department said. “Other people aboard the vessel laugh and cheer as they watch.”
This action, they added, “showed reckless disregard for his own safety – and that of the adult male orca with a calf swimming near the vessel.”
“The video left us genuinely stunned,” said Hayden Loper, the principal investigation officer at the Department of Conservation.
“As well as the initial attempt to dive onto the animal, the man stays in the water and then swims toward it again in a second attempt to touch it,” said Loper. “This is stupid behaviour [sic] and demonstrates a shocking disregard for the welfare of the orca. It is extremely irresponsible.”
Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, are the largest members of the dolphin family and are considered “nationally critical” in New Zealand, meaning they are “facing an immediate high risk of extinction.” No more than 200 of the animals are estimated to roam the country’s waters, with vessel traffic posing a major threat. Swimming with the marine mammals or disturbing them in any way, is illegal.
Given recent incidents off the coast of Spain in which orcas have sunk vessels, as well as the sheer massive size of the animals – they can become nearly 30 feet long – the DOC said this situation could have ended horribly for the man involved. “Any sudden moves” near the animals could risk the chance of harm, they said.
“Orca are immensely powerful animals, and this really could have ended horribly – with their the startled whale being injured, or the man responsible being harmed by the aggravated animal,” Loper said.
The Auckland man has since been hit with a $600 fine, as the department said he committed an act that “displays a shocking and stupid attitude to protected marine mammals.” The whales involved in the incident don’t appear to have suffered significant harm or disturbance, the department said on social media.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed conceded the mayoral race to Daniel Lurie Thursday afternoon with a social media post that congratulated her competitor.
The mayor also thanked the city and its residents for “the opportunity to serve the City that raised me” in the post on X just after 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
There had been rumblings that Breed might concede the race earlier Thursday having come in behind Lurie in the last vote count released Wednesday morning.
“Today, I called Daniel Lurie and congratulated him on his victory in this election,” the post read. “Over the coming weeks, my staff and I will work to ensure a smooth transition as he takes on the honor of serving as Mayor of San Francisco. I know we are both committed to improving this City we love.”
Breed spoke at a press conference less than an hour after the social media post to answer questions from reporters about her decision, reiterating some of what she said in her social media post.
“The city is on the rise. The office is bigger than just one person, and I called Daniel Lurie earlier today to congratulate him,” the mayor said. “And made it very clear my team and I stand ready to support him during his transition. We will always do everything we can to ensure the success of the city and that there is a smooth transition, so that the important work that has been done and needs to continue in San Francisco moves forward.”
When asked if this was the hardest speech she’d ever given, Breed quickly dismissed that idea.
“No, it’s not. There’s been other harder speeches. I mean I had to make a hard decision to close the city down during a global pandemic. I had to deal with…the racial reckoning that happened after the tragic death of George Floyd. I had to go out in the middle of the night and tell people that Mayor Ed Lee had passed away. There are numerous occasions.”
Six years ago, incumbent London Breed became the first Black woman to serve as mayor of San Francisco after the death of Mayor Ed Lee in late 2017. The then president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors was automatically appointed as the city’s acting mayor early the morning after Lee’s death.
In June of 2018, Breed won the special election that was held to fill the office, defeating her main opponent, former state senator Mark Leno.
Breed faced a number of major challenges during her first term in office, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the city’s ongoing issues with drug abuse and homelessness, rising housing costs and a spike in retail crime that some chains cited as the reason behind closing stores in San Francisco.
While Breed has touted progress in reducing the number of homeless encampments and pushed programs to fill vacant business spaces downtown, the mayor’s struggles have led to 11 other candidates entering the race to challenge her for the job.
“Over the coming weeks, I plan to reflect on all the progress we’ve made. But today, I am proud that we have truly accomplished so much and my heart is filled with gratitude,” Breed’s message said in closing. “During my final two months as your Mayor, I will continue to lead this City as I have from Day One – as San Francisco’s biggest champion.”
Daniel Lurie has announced that he will speak to the media about the latest developments Friday morning.
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San Francisco Mayor London Breed concedes race, congratulates Daniel Lurie on victory
84-year-old arrested 50 years after Minneapolis woman murdered
Maple Grove remains undefeated with an exclamation point, routing Edina 35-0 in Class 6A high school football playoffs