A video posted on TikTok, an innocently carried Action: would you ever think that such things could turn into a serious problem? If you answered no, then this is exactly what happened to an American couple on their honeymoon in Hawaii.
When the newlyweds saw a monk seal on Kauai beach, they thought it was the perfect opportunity to get up close to the animal. All this, of course, under the attentive “eye” of a phone, with which they shot a video, immediately shared on social networks. An idea which however earned them a significant backlash since, following the success of the video, the Louisiana couple was identified and fined .
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image credit: hhhviral/Instagram
In the video, the woman poses next to the seal, an animal considered endangered, approaches it and tries to touch it . The creature does not react in a friendly manner, probably annoyed or frightened by the two “intruders”. The seal suddenly looked up at the woman, who ran away screaming
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image credit: hhhviral/Instagram
When the footage, originally posted on TikTok, appeared on the “viral” Instagram account, it toured the world even faster, and that’s where the trouble started for the two. According to Stephen, the husband, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) contacted him and his wife to warn them that they were going to have to pay a fine for what they had done. It is not known exactly how much the fine will be, but it is certain that the video triggered a series of in-depth investigations, which culminated in the official act.
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image credit: hhhviral/Instagram
“The last thing we wish we had done is disrespect the locals or the animals,” Stephen commented, “this is something we deeply regret, we will learn from this mistake.”
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image credit: hhhviral/Instagram
“I know that’s no excuse,” the man added, “but we didn’t see any prohibition sign, we didn’t know anything and we are animal lovers, we never wanted to do them harm or scare them. “
Such offenses, committed against endangered animals, are punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a fine of up to $ 50,000. Despite the good faith of the newlyweds, this episode can teach us that it is always important to never go too far, especially if the goal is to show off on social networks.
Source used:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CRNCBexHo8m/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again