KAHULUI — A 60-year-old Georgia man, visiting Ka‘anapali, Maui, said he “was very sorry” for lifting a sea turtle out of the water by its shell, last week.
KAHULUI — A 60-year-old Georgia man, visiting Ka‘anapali, Maui, said he “was very sorry” for lifting a sea turtle out of the water by its shell, last week.
He told state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officers he didn’t know his actions were against the law.
Witnesses reported the Tuesday, Aug. 17 incident via the DLNRTip app, and provided photos and video of the man and his son in shallow water.
The pair told officers a turtle swam toward them.
The father picked it up briefly and when people yelled at him, he put it back in the water.
“DLNR, county and federal partners, the private sector and volunteer organizations continue to use all available outreach methods and platforms to try and reach every visitor to Hawai‘i,” said DOCARE Enforcement Chief Jason Redulla.
“Unfortunately, we can’t reach every single person who encounters a turtle or other marine wildlife, and hope that people will use their common sense and show respect to these creatures. Ignorance of the law has never been a good defense,” he added.
The man was cited under Hawai‘i Administrative Rules for prohibited activities.
The case was also referred to federal authorities, as turtles are protected under both federal and state laws.
Anyone who witnesses wildlife harassment is encouraged to call the 24-hour DOCARE hotline at 643-DLNR (3567) or report suspected violations via the free DLNRTip app.
Fine his dumb butt!!
This is the fault of the government, HTA and other visitor/business groups who do not want to “offend” the visitors by running mandatory videos on all planes telling these people the rules. Visitors all think Hawaii is Disneyland and that they can do what they want. What some visitors need is “mommy” to sit them down and explain the rules, because obviously some visitors don’t read signs or have any common sense.
Would tourists act that way in National Parks ? Would they hug a bear or a moose? I don’t think so! Yet they come here and do stupid things and travel like a mad person on the highway and through people’s pasture land.
So the guy thought if it wasn’t against the law it would be ok to harass an animal struggling to eat meager seaweed to survive?
Doug is absolutely right! Stupid morons from the mainland fly to the Islands for a week and think they can do as they wish because of the expense to get there. My family travels to Hawaii every year and WORSHIP the opportunity to see, smell and feel all the Islands has to offer. Where is Hawaiian enforcement to cite these boneheads? There should be officials at Ke’e, Pu’u honua o’ Honaunau, etc. to nail these clowns. Keep charging us fees for use. Maybe that will help. Ke a o ka aina I kapono
Nice try with the Hawaiian, it’s really offensive when you try to use it to prove you’re a “good” tourist and then completely butcher it. The ‘okina never goes at the end of a word (o’) and our state motto is “Ua mau ke ea o ka ‘aina i ka pono.”
So simple! Pass a law that all Airlines pass out information in the form of a flyer about all Wildlife restrictions.
The airlines needs to run PSA’s or pass out flyers of the do’s and don’t of Hawaii: No Smoking on the beaches, Reef Safe Sunscreen, give sea life a 10 foot lee way, Don’t Touch. Practice Aloha
Oh please! I have heard of local keiki grabbing turtles underwater for a bit of a ride. While I am sure the turtle, in this case, would probably have preferred going about its business unmolested, no serious harm done. If anything, turtle shells do carry parasites, including tuberculosis and papilloma virus, so probably not the smartest idea. Please save the outrage for more important stuff, rather than sentimental, virtue-signaling + anti-tourist B.S.
If turtles had hands, they might grab humans every chance they get. The reason they swim near, sometimes reaaal close, is that they know we’re not a threat, and kind of swim like them. Maybe that one learned not to get too close. Turtle education.