An Iranian fisherman created a scandal when he shared footage of himself riding on the back of a whale shark in the open waters of the Persian Gulf in early July. The striking video of the man– who is standing on the moving whale shark as if it were a surfboard– has stirred up debate on social media with many people criticising what they call dangerous behavior. While the level of risk the man is taking is debateable, this bizarre display could hurt this large, peaceable fish.