Guilty As Charged

would you molest this dorsal fin?

I have been feeling unnaturally guilty. I have done something very untoward indeed. I molested a whale shark.

The pre-snorkel debriefing requested the following:
Enter the water as quietly as possible
Give the whale shark a minimum of three metres on either side as it swims
Do not block the path directly in front of the whale shark – enable it to swim with freedom
Do not touch the whale shark

All good environmentally sensible kinda stuff. And yet I am completely unable to resist as its dorsal fin comes up just below my belly in the water.

All Earth’s creatures have a right to remain unmolested – it should be a basic right for all natural living things. Yet we do it all the time – whether a pet cat, dog, hamster, gerbil. Most pets do seem to appreciate human touch. Wild animals maybe not so.

My first close encounter with a green turtle of the southern tropical waters in south Malaysia saw me hold on to its shell and took me a joy ride for some 100 metres. Well it was certainly one of the best joyful rides I have ever experienced and my aquatic acquaintance certainly didn’t show me any hostility or seem to be overwrought by the experience.

I just can’t seem to resist getting up close and personal with such majestic animals. Mountain gorillas of Rwanda – i hope to be coming to town. I give you fair warning.

Is there a generic term for a whale-shark molester?