Albany kid rides whale
Sam Matheson, 14, who made international headlines for riding a whale returns to Middleton Beach, scene of his daredevil antics. Picture: Trevor Paddenburg
Sam Matheson made international headlines after he rode a whale off the WA coast says he just wanted a closer look at the gentle giant.
The Albany Senior High School student's actions sparked a Department of Environment investigation and made headlines in the US, Britain, Canada, New Zealand even Ghana.
But speaking publicly for the first time since the incident, the keen surfer, fisherman and motorcross rider said he regretted climbing on to the whale.
Sam said, in a spur-of-the-moment decision to see how close he could get, he swam out to the 14m whale, stroked it and then lifted himself on to the animal for about 30 seconds. He did not realise swimming within 30m of a whale was illegal or dangerous, he said.
"I swam out to it and put my arms on it, sort of laid against it for about 20 or 30 seconds. I was out of the water from the waist up. It was like a leather texture, like a really smooth leather, really soft. It wasn't even scary, it was like, 'Dude, it's a whale'.
"It didn't even notice me until I laid on it. Then it lifted up its tail, it went under and it pulled me down at bit, but I was fine and I swam back to the rocks.
"I didn't even think I'd done anything wrong until I saw the news and all the stories on the internet. It was on CNN. It was everywhere. If I had known it was illegal I wouldn't have done it."
His mother, Tammy Smit-Sell, 35, said Sam was "not a delinquent" but had an adventurous spirit. She agreed to speak publicly to set the record straight after hurtful comments around town and some media reports that Sam stood or jumped on the whale.
"He's not bad misunderstood maybe but not bad. He's not a delinquent but he is gutsy," Mrs Smit-Sell said.
"He's grown up around the ocean, he loves the ocean. He loves surfing, fishing and diving. Sam would never even keep an undersize fish, let alone harm a whale. He's been taught to take care of the ocean. He's done what most people have only dreamed of doing.
"It was more like, 'Wow, there's a whale'. There's no way he'd ever want to hurt anything, and he certainly didn't realise it was illegal.
"Some of the comments I've heard have been really inappropriate. Some people have said, 'String him up and make an example of him'. Don't people remember what it's like to be a kid? He's a good kid and this was blown out of all proportion."
Sam said he weighed only 57kg and didn't think the whale would notice him. He estimated the whale was about 14m in length and 4m wide. "There was no malicious intent. I like fishing, but besides that, I would never hurt anything in the ocean," he said.
Wildlife officers were alerted when a beach-goer took a photo of Sam on the whale and reported the incident. Mrs Smit-Sell said she wanted to thank the woman for not releasing the photo.
Department of Environment and Conservation regional manager Mike Shephard said officers had interviewed Sam, who was remorseful, and issued him with a warning.
Harassing protected species is an offence under the Wildlife Conservation Act. The maximum penalty is $10,000. The exclusion zone around whales is 100m for boats, surfers and people on kayaks.
Rod P
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 20/05/08
I wonder if the do gooders
I wonder if the do gooders calling for this kid to cop it have anything to say about the Japanese method of hugging whales? Or theyre just too short sighted to get out of their own lazi boys..
Amazing effort for a young fella and not one i'd suggest or want to see repeated, i can't see the real negative impact on the whale?
scotto
Posts: 2474
Date Joined: 21/04/08
thats a big 10 - 4 rodrat.
2 absolutely brilliant points rodrat.
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
we often swam right up to
we often swam right up to whales in False Bay, in fact this year the ones off Fish Hoek bay have come as close to the shore that the fluke blows can be heard from the houses next to the train line.
Whales are not phased by snorklers and divers, be they manta's, whale sharks or big whales, if they not happy with you, they will swim off at 9~10 knots and you ain't got a chance in hell of staying with them.
I know they should be protected, but all this crap about no swiming near them etc, it's bit over the top.
As Rod said, how about just stopping the rest of the world blasting a warhead into them and blowing half their brain away!
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
mitch
Posts: 1285
Date Joined: 14/08/05
good story to tell the grand
would be pretty sureal to do.. good story to tell the grand kids about when they ask what "was" a whale???????.
scottnofish
Posts: 1621
Date Joined: 28/08/07
so does that apply to whale sharks aswell
heaps of people swim with them
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Missing the point
Missing the point - you can't say its better something isn't done or repeated, the law is supposed to be disincentivising people from doing that. We have a lot of laws because a lot of people are pretty stupid and can't work out what the right thing to do is on their own. He is lucky he didn't get a fine.
There are specific DEC guidelines for swimming around whales and whalesharks.
Auslobster
Posts: 1901
Date Joined: 03/05/08
Whale Sharks.
I'm far from being an expert on the protocol but I think the charter operators drop the people x number of metres in front of the shark with the idea of allowing it to approach them...to go roaring right up to the animal and bombing everybody on top of it is an absolute no-no!
My first reaction to the story about the young bloke and the whale was "what a knob" but in hindsight no person or animal was harmed and/or stressed out as far as I could tell, and the public outcry would've served the purpose of reminding everyone not to do it. He had his moment, but hopefully he and any other like-minded individuals will get the message that it's illegal.
Rod P
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 20/05/08
The story was circulating
The story was circulating that he jumped onto the Whales back. That is obvoously incorrect.
I still say nice job. He is obvously very comfortable around the water and if my kid did that i'd be quietly chuffed..
Alan James
Posts: 2301
Date Joined: 30/06/09
I hope he gets a copy of the photograph
for his album. Sounds like the fun police were out that day.
crasny1
Posts: 7029
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Sorry I disagree
It was just plain stupid. And who can say no harm was done. Rubbing off the slime from some fish will place them at risk of infections, and whales are susceptible to our common bacteria.
Not trying to cause an arguement, JMO. But he certainly should not be praised for this at all.
Neels
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
Rod P
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 20/05/08
I guess the same is said of
I guess the same is said of catch and release fishing..Sorry too long a bow to draw to think that the kid could hurt the whale and its immune system..
More than likely the poor thing will get a harpoon through its head this year anyway.
Rod
Seaquest
Posts: 1140
Date Joined: 22/10/09
Who really gives a shit. We
Who really gives a shit. We are becoming stupid with all the regs and rules these days. The only person at danger was Sam. If he is crazy enough to ride a whale let him. Surely the Department of Environment and Conservation has better things to do with their time.
big john
Posts: 8786
Date Joined: 20/07/06
WA
Go the nanny state!
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
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scottland
Posts: 3045
Date Joined: 10/05/10
oh my!
haha could you imagine if free willy was set in perth
i support two teams eagles and whoever is playing the dockers
crasny1
Posts: 7029
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Put it the other way
How would we like it if a whale sat on us. LOL the thought.
Neels
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
Bunny
Posts: 678
Date Joined: 05/08/10
If whales are that
If whales are that susceptible to infection from 30 seconds of touching they haven't evolved very well!!
He shouldn't have done it but how many whale watching boats get too close to them and they are well and truly aware of the rules? I bet the Dept of Env officers look the other way when that happens.
Not saying he should have done it but I hate double standards.
crasny1
Posts: 7029
Date Joined: 16/10/08
We as humans are very susceptible to sea
organisms like erysipletrix (nicknamed Crayfish poisoning) because the system evolved differently. I am not saying that the whale will get an infection, its just more likely that it would happen because they arent used to terestrial organisms, and we aren't as resistant to aquatic bugs.
IMO it was just plain dumb, and now he wants to become a hero out of it. Lets get real about it and not cause a Chopper Read like scenario.
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
Fathom
Posts: 622
Date Joined: 18/04/08
but hugging breeding Sambos
but hugging breeding Sambos is ok? Go Sam, you silly adventurous thrillseeker. I'd be stoked to have a kid like that
Auslobster
Posts: 1901
Date Joined: 03/05/08
Crayfish poisoning...
...is a misnomer. Crays don't have any poisons/toxins/venom...what happens is deckies on crayboats get cut, could be from crays,knife, pots,etc...and then the wound fails to heal properly because it's constantly being exposed to saltwater every day, and an infection develops. That's what the doctor told me when I got it, anyway. Surfers who go out every day experience the same thing.
Whales do NOT have a protective layer of slime (like fish)...they have living and growing skin, just like we do, and by simply rubbing up against an object, marine or terrestial, is not going to heighten the risk of infection.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18333
Date Joined: 11/03/08
i think we all have done
i think we all have done things when we were a kid that could have been dangerous or illegal.i know i have , this kid did nothing different to what other kids would have liked to do, i know i would. it would have been a real buzz to touch a living whale of that size but as mentioned it is illegal. if the pic wasnt taken would have he been found out. i dont think so. if it is so bads for the whale to be touched , what would happen to all these whales that beech themselves.i dont condone what he did but he has realised he did wrong and now its time for the media and the public to leave him alone.
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
He hasn't
done the unforgivable but he could've at least done it somewhere a little less public than Middleton Beach
7739ian
Posts: 948
Date Joined: 25/06/08
I will add
to the hoohaa this subject doesn't deserve - good on him, i fail to see how a scrawny little bloke is going to have any impact on a whale, either mentally or physically. The biggest risk was to him himself - and in this day and age kids don't get outside and take any risks like we did to their own detriment.
Indiana
Posts: 307
Date Joined: 15/12/09
Big Beat Up
So what ....... There was certainly no harm done to the whale .
Good on the kid for having the guts to have a go . Given the same opportunity to get up close and personal I would have done the same .
Too many rules and regulations in this nanny state , for god sake people "WAKE UP ".
This country was built on the backs of people that were prepared to challenge the rules and regulations and have a go .........hell most were convicts.
Just makes me wonder where Australia is headed ?
" IF YOUR NOT GOING TO EAT IT ......PUT IT BACK WHERE YOU CAUGHT IT"
Northwest
Posts: 71
Date Joined: 06/03/08
get over it
I dont see what he did as such a big deal, I dont think that, he thinks himself a heroe as some people claim. Media is just blowing everything out of proportion.
Just a kid trying to connect with one the most amazing animals in the ocean. Clearly he has a passion for the ocean and only a positive intent. No harm was done nor was any intended by the sounds of it.
Im sure it was a great expieriance to have, other then the media and people hammering the shit out of him. He should be left alone IMO
Dreamtime
Posts: 664
Date Joined: 21/09/09
right there with you indiana!
man, indiana you nailed it mate, couldnt have said it any better. wat is this F&CKI%# country comin to, i mean a gay lil crossdressing poof for a pm then an actual lil girl(still better than rudd). wat happened to the ozzy way of life where we work hard drink piss and have lots and lots of fun, fair enough i live by respecting the ocean and its inhabitants but whoa there is a line to be crossed and i think we are ten or fifteen years past it, fuck i hope i die soon, cant handle all this shit. go blow the jap whaling boats outa the water instead of blowing a story about a kid swimming with a whale out of the water...