We bet you'd never thought afemale lemon sharkwould be such a softy!She has clearly fallen in love withthe human touch, coming every day for nearly a year now to see Randy Jordan, an American diving instructor working off the coast of Jupiter in Florida.
At 2.4m longand weighing almost 90kg, the animal has been affectionately named Blondie by her new friend.Randy Jordan explained toThe Dodo:
She recognises me as soon as I go in the water and runs over to me. It's almost looks like she's smiling. She doesn't want food, she just wants to be petted. If you don't give her the attention, she'll bump into you. You have to attend to her. That's just the way she is. It is strange.
Blondie is the perfect way for the instructor tointroduce the magnificent creatures of thesea tothe divers he trains.
Though Blondie isn't the only shark that the ocean-lover has come across during his dives, she is certainly his most regular companion, and the most affectionate."[These interactions] are not dangerous for the shark and run no risk of hurting her", Randy Jordan adds.
I would never force her to do anything she didn't want to do.
When asked why Blondie enjoys being 'petted'so much, Randy has the following theory:
I'm not a scientist, but I know sharks have a nerve center under their snout and, when that's stimulated, it puts them into a semi-catatonic state. I think they enjoy it the same way a cat enjoys to be petted.
As a devoted defender of marine life, the diver is hopinghis incredible friendship with Blondie will help change people's minds, and alterthe harmful prejudices against sharks."When people see this, they start liking sharks", concludes Randy Jordan.Humans are without a doubt the most dangerous predators ofsharks. In 40 years, the shark population has decreased by 90%, mainly due to over-fishing. Today, 30% of shark species are endangered.The charity Sea Shepherd has been fighting to protect them for many years.If you'd like to find out more and to support their work, click here. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqF6vqlePWM[/embed]
Via : TheDodo
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Diver Saves A Whale Shark From A Fishing Rope Which Had Been Torturing Him For Years
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