In what may be the best dad joke ever, it’s been revealed that the man filmed ‘‘attacking’’ a stingray was simply diving at the shadow of a kite his daughter was flying.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Footage of the man lunging at a huge shadow while swimming at a Gold Coast beach and then running away from it to cries of "look out behind!", provoked cries of animal cruelty from those who thought he was trying to do battle with a stingray.
But three days after the clip was posted on YouTube, aired on Nine News and attracted more than 250,000 views, the man has apparently come forward saying he was just having a laugh with his daughter.
The Gold Coast Bulletin has reported that the man who stars in the clip made contact via email and said he was swimming at the beach near Sea World and his daughter was flying her kite when they spotted the shadow and decided to film it.
New footage, posted on the Bulletin’s website and not part of the original clip on YouTube, clearly shows the kite shadow covering the man as he walks through the water.
The man said he sent the video of the prank to this three friends and the next moment it was online - and then it was more than a stingray that was charging at him.
The man, who did not want to be named and would not be interviewed, said in the email that ‘‘no kites were harmed in the making of the video’’ and he had respect for ‘‘magestic’’ animals like the stingray and would never hurt them.
Marine biologists, diving experts, media outlets and locals have all been stung by the joke, which will hopefully raise the bar for dads everywhere.
