Central California | STOP ANIMAL ABUSE

Watch as Two Divers Narrowly Avoid being Eaten by Humpback Whales [VIDEO]

July 24, 2013

A pair of dive instructors killing time in the water before their next class had a close encounter with a much bigger pair: two humpback whales breaching the surface to feed within arm’s reach of the men.

Whales breach near divers

A school of tasty sardines swam to where the men were in the water, followed in hot pursuit by the whales.

The encounter was caught on film by crew members aboard their diving boat while the group was about two miles out from Morro Bay along the Central California coast.

Shawn Stamback, one of two men in the water, told Pete Thomas Outdoors that he has seen the humpback whales feeding about a quarter-mile away when he and Francis Antigua got into the water with snorkeling gear and cameras to pass time before their next scuba dive.

“We were just floating around in the water, hoping to get some shots of the whales in the distance, when all of a sudden the sardines started going crazy,” Stamback said.

In the video, which has been edited to show footage from the surface and underwater, countless sardines appear out of nowhere, skipping violently across the water and swarming a camera under the surface. The footage cuts to above water in time to see the two humpback whales breaching the surface like a pair of synchronized swimmers, each narrowly missing a mouthful of diver as they devour the fish.

The whales can be seen briefly in the background as the video begins, but they quickly disappear from view. After the ordeal, one of the divers admitted that he knew it was going to happen, but seemed to be unfazed by the close encounter. The man filming the episode jokes, “You’re going to have to do more to clean that wetsuit.”

Humpback whales can weigh up to 40 tons and are common in the waters along the Central California coast. The mammals feed on krill and small schooling fish.

Harassing whales or interfering with their behavior is illegal and boaters are advised to stay at least 100 feet away from the creatures if seen in the water.

Monica DeAngelis, a mammal expert with the National Marine Fisheries Service, told Pete Thomas Outdoors that it was unclear based on the video whether the divers were violating any laws.

“[But] they certainly are lucky no one got hurt,” she said. “In addition, they were clearly closer than the [100-foot] recommended guidelines.”

The men were unharmed in the incident, though the close encounter is sure to be a story they will not soon forget.

News Link:-http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/3105/20130722/watch-two-divers-narrowly-avoid-being-eaten-humpback-whales-video.htm

Whales almost eat Divers (Original Version)

Published on 20 Jul 2013

While Diving Souza Rock on the Central california Coast Divers have a close call with HumpBack Whales.

Camera men: Jay Hebrard Francis Antigua Jeremy Bonnett Shawn Stamback
Aboard the Dive boat “Magic” of SLODIVERS

Real Animal Cruelty – Cat Killer Out On Parole

May 30, 2012

Inland Empire pet owners have reason to be on heightened alert. Timothy Arie Kooyman, a convicted felon whose crimes include charges of animal cruelty, was recently released on parole from Avenal State Prison in Central California.
“Parolee Timothy Kooyman was released to state parole on May 19, after serving his full sentence for animal cruelty as defined by law,” Luis Patino, a spokesman from the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told the Weekly. The 28-year old Kooyman was released in San Bernardino County on parole under the conditions of good behavior, and is currently under the “highest level of supervision.”

Timothy Arie Kooyman

In May 2008, Kooyman was arrested by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies in a Rancho Cucamonga neighborhood. A deputy reportedly found two mutilated cats—barely alive—sealed plastic container inside Kooyman’s truck.

He was also charged with one felony count of recklessly causing a fire to a structure or forest, which occurred after Kooyman poured gasoline on a female cat and lit her on fire.

In December 2008, Kooyman changed his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. Then things took a twist when San Bernardino County Deputy District Attorney Debbie Ploghaus added new allegations against him; the use a dangerous or deadly weapon in committing a felony. Kooyman switched his plea (again) to no contest in April 2009. He was sentenced to Avenal the following July for a two-year sentence, for which he was given credit for time served and good behavior.
But this story does not end here.

Moyer is angry and concerned that Kooyman will strike again based on his past crimes.

“This is one of the most disgusting, brutal cases I have ever seen,” Moyer tells the Weekly. “This guy is a monster for what he did to those cats. We lobbied at the Riverside DA’s office for over two years, asking [then-DA] Rod Pacheco to conduct his own investigation and consider pressing charges for the three cats in Corona who were tortured [by Kooyman].”
Voices for Pets’ efforts paid off. In 2010 Kooyman was charged with three felonies and one misdemeanor for allegedly torturing and killing cats in April and May 2008 at two Corona motels.

“It’s a shame there is not a law similar to Megan’s Law when it comes to animal cruelty,” he says. “Also, it has been documented that FBI researches into serial killers document [that] the majority of them have a background of cruelty to animals.”

Voices for Pets has been distributing flyers alerting residents and animal rescue organizations about Kooyman’s release. Robyn Hunt, a Southern California representative for the group, forwarded a Corona-specific flyer to the Weekly.

“This guy will not stop killing cats,” Moyer says.

To read this story in full, click here:-http://ieweekly.com/2012/05/news-stories-2/news-stories/real-animal-cruelty/