Man caught on camera appearing to hold, pull turtle
Adam Kurtz is NOAA Fisheries Marine Wildlife Management Coordinator.
By Mika Miyashima
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HONOLULU (KITV) — A federal investigation is underway after a video, shows a man appearing to grab and hold a sea turtle in Waikiki.
It shows the man holding and pulling the turtle, even as people tell him it’s illegal and to let it go.
The person who took the video said it happened on Wednesday night off of Hilton Hawaiian Village.
NOAA says getting too close to wild animals puts both people and animals at risk.
“Close encounters can be stressful for them,” explained Adam Kurtz, NOAA Fisheries Marine Wildlife Management Coordinator. “It can disrupt their resting, their feeding, their nurturing, and their breeding behaviors. So its really important that we keep a safe distance away. That’s 10-feet for sea turtles, 50-feet for Hawaiian monk seals, 150-feet or 50-yards for dolphins and small whales, and 100-yards for large whales.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident.
If you see an animal getting harassed, call the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement hotline at 1-800-853-1964.
You can also email photos and videos to RespectWildlife@noaa.gov.
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