Diver Buys $3,000 Underwater Scooter, Uses It Exclusively to Chase Fish That Don't Want to Be Photographed

Recreational diver and gadget enthusiast Todd Belanger, 38, recently purchased a $3,000 Dive Propulsion Vehicle that he has used exclusively to chase marine life that is actively trying to avoid him, according to multiple dive buddies who have witnessed what they describe as 'motorized wildlife harassment.' The DPV, manufactured by Suex and marketed as a tool for 'effortless reef exploration and extended dive range,' was deployed on its maiden voyage to pursue a hawksbill sea turtle that Belanger wanted to photograph. The turtle, a protected species under the Endangered Species Act, swam away at its maximum speed of approximately 15 miles per hour. Belanger pursued at the DPV's top speed of 4.5 miles per hour. 'I almost had it,' Belanger said afterward, reviewing blurry photos of what appears to be a turtle-shaped smudge disappearing into blue water. 'If the battery had lasted another ten minutes, I would have gotten the shot.' Subsequent dives have followed a similar pattern. Belanger has used the DPV to chase a Napoleon wrasse (which hid behind a coral bommie), a reef shark (which left the area entirely), and a school of barracuda (which separated and reformed behind him in what his dive buddy described as 'a military-grade evasive maneuver'). 'The fish can hear it coming,' said marine biologist Dr. Ramona Kiels, who observed one of Belanger's dives. 'DPVs produce a distinctive whine that travels efficiently through water. He's essentially driving a loud motorboat at animals that have evolved over millions of years to flee from things that sound like loud motorboats.' Belanger has ordered a 'stealth attachment' from an aftermarket supplier that claims to reduce DPV noise by 40 percent. Dr. Kiels noted that a 40 percent reduction in motorboat noise still sounds like 'a motorboat.' Belanger remains optimistic. 'The turtle will come around,' he said. 'We have a connection. It just doesn't know it yet.'