Harry are you an idiot or what?

Friend of shark patter

Boatloads surrounded a dead southern right whale off the coast near Adelaide to watch about a dozen great white sharks tearing into the animal's flesh.

One slip and he's a dinner

Television pictures showed people patting the frenzied killer sharks on the head - an Australian woman's voice can be heard exclaiming: "Harry are you an idiot or what?"

One man clambered onto the dead whale's back to pose for a souvenir photograph.

Angry minister

But South Australian state Environment Minister Iain Evans said he was shocked at the tourist's disregard for their own safety.

Minister wants to ban this kind of thing

"These creatures are not toys," he said angrily.

"It is clear the state government will need to look at changing the law in order to protect people too stupid to protect themselves," he added.

Australian environmental protection laws ban people from approaching within 100 metres of a live whale. Mr Evans said he would now look at exclusion zones for dead whales too.

Dangerous waters

Australian waters were the most dangerous in the world for shark attacks last year when global figures rose to a record high.

The whale is thought to have died from natural causes

There were 10 fatal attacks worldwide in 2000, including three in Australian waters after great white shark attacks.

The deaths of three other people in Australia are also strongly believed to have resulted from shark attacks, but their remains were either never found or had been in the water too long to tell if they were eaten before or after they died.

Some experts blame overfishing in Australian waters for the increase in attacks because they say sharks are forced to hunt closer to shore.