Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is currently under investigation for allegedly harassing a humpback whale while riding a personal watercraft off Sao Paulo's coast last year. The incident, which was captured in a video that circulated on social media in June 2023, shows a man on a personal watercraft approaching the whale at a distance closer than the legal requirement.
Under Brazilian legislation, motored vessels are required to maintain a minimum distance of 100 meters from whales and other cetaceans. Any intentional attempt to get closer can result in a sentence of up to two to five years in prison and a fine. Prosecutors have noted that the man on the watercraft, believed to be Bolsonaro, was approximately 15 meters from the animal at the time of the incident.
