They were snorkeling, mistreating an endangered sea turtle and filming the event

A group of snorkelling tourists filmed themselves grabbing, kicking and strangling a helpless turtle. The incident took place near the Isla Redanga popular vacation destination on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

In the video The group can be seen grabbing the poor reptile by its shell. At one point, a man is seen grabbing the creature by the neck like he was strangling her. Additionally, another man kicks the animal to get it away.

In the video you can see the group grab the poor reptile by its shell. Photo: screenshot/Facebook/TRACC.

According to the media Need To Knowthe man who appeared to «strangle» the turtle was, in fact, a tour guide from a resort on the island. It is believed that this individual encouraged the group’s reprehensible behavior.

The scenes took place in an extremely sensitive area: Redang Island is located within a protected marine park. In this park, it is illegal to catch or even touch marine animals.

Complaints and calls for conscience by TRACC

The abused turtle was identified as part of a group of endangered green turtles who are being harassed and abused in Malaysia.

The marine conservation group Tropical Research and Conservation Centre (TRACC) condemned the incident, recalling that these types of actions can be fatal.

Although turtles can hold their breath for long periods, they have lungs, not gills, so they still need to surface to breathe.

Marine conservation group Tropical Research and Conservation Center (TRACC) condemned the incident. Photo: TRACC.

On its Facebook page, TRACC warned that if a turtle becomes trapped underwater or cannot reach the surface, it can drown like any other air-breathing animal.

The group noted that this behavior is deeply disturbing and worrying and should never be endorsed. They assured that these incidents occur out of ignorance or because of the operators’ desire to ensure that consumers get «the best experience.»

The organization filed a complaint with the authorities local authorities to investigate the incident. «Observation is done with the eyes, not with the hands,» they emphasized.