"I adore these beautiful turtles, and the people of Hawai‘i. We’re very sorry,” she said.
Disney movie star China McClain posted a video on Instagram of her touching a sea turtle on Maui that generated a lot of responses, as it is frowned upon to touch sea turtles. “Just found this turtle gem… Found so many other pics from this beautiful healing place that I might share. Don’t be shocked if I pack up and move to Maui one of these days,” she wrote in the post.
Before McClain deleted the video, it caught the attention of Hawaii Gov. Josh Green who commented on her post: “Aloha China, I urge you to educate yourself on Hawaii’s laws and the importance of protecting our marine life before visiting our islands… Please delete this video and do better.”
View this post on Instagram
The video, which was taken three years ago but was posted this week, garnered nearly 500,000 views before McClain deleted it. Some in the comments wanted McClain to face steep fines for her interactions with the video. Touching a sea turtle is not necessarily against the law, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said in a press release put out by the governor’s office.
Surfer’s Antics Sparks Outrage After Riding Threatened Hawaiian Sea Turtle
Kennedy Brothers Rescue Leatherback Sea Turtle, Get Investigated By NOAA
“I was not fully aware of the situation until today, and I certainly wasn’t aware of the laws. The video was from two years ago when we visited Hawai‘i and I came across it in my phone and decided to post it.” McClain told the DLNR.
Honu is Hawaiian for sea turtle. Photo by Shutterstock
“It’s the people I don’t want to hurt. I understand respecting culture, and I understand the pain that comes with not having your culture respected. Those are never lines that we cross intentionally, so that part of this situation is hurting us right now. I adore these beautiful turtles, and the people of Hawai‘i. We’re very sorry,” she said.
Guidelines For Interacting With Sea Turtles
“On its face their activity may not have been a violation of state or federal rules that protect endangered or threatened species like turtles, but it certainly ignored wildlife viewing guidelines developed by NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the DLNR.”
The guidelines include:
-
- Keep at least 10 feet away from sea turtles
- Avoid touching, chasing, feeding, or interfering with adults and hatchlings
- Avoid blocking their access to or from the ocean
“Although we understand it was probably not intentional, this is not a pono way to interact with Hawaiian wildlife,” Brian Neilson, DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources Administrator said in the statement. “We encourage the sharing of positive behaviors on social media to inspire others to appreciate and protect our beautiful surroundings.”
