Let’s let the sleeping seals rest.

A Redditor on r/Hawaii He reminded tourists that while wildlife is beautiful to watch, it should be viewed from a safe distance.

“Wildlife is beautiful in Hawaii, but make sure you give them some space! A general rule of thumb is to keep a minimum of 10 to 15 feet of space from any animal life you encounter. Don’t do what these guys did,” they said. wrote.

The newly posted photo shows a family photo of a tourist a few meters from a sleeping seal. Even after being warned to “stay away from (the) protected seal,” the family continued taking photographs.

The Hawaiian monk seal is adorable, but it’s also “one of the most endangered seal species in the world,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Interactions like these between humans and seals are one of the reasons the seal is in danger, along with habitat loss, marine debris entanglement, and disease. Interactions between humans and seals, such as feeding, petting or waking them, “present a serious concern for human safety, as mother seals are protective and aggressive. Interactions between humans and seals pose a threat to both the safety of humans as for seals,” according to NOAA.

These seals weigh hundreds of pounds and can (and will) bite. That’s why NOAA recommends Stay at least 50 feet away from monk seals and 150 feet from monk seal mothers.

Tourons are ignorant, entitled, and careless, and while one should not be ashamed for ignoring rules, customs, or best practices, this is also problematic in cases like this, when tourists often don’t listen.

This happens often in hawaii. In another case, a group of tourists ignored Signs at Mānoa FallsOahu, to swim in a waterfall. Too often, tourists disturb wildlife, invade and leave behind extraordinary landscapes. amounts of garbage. Not only is this type of behavior disrespectful to the people who live there, but many of these actions can be dangerous to themselves, others, and wildlife, particularly if they get close to an animal like a seal. without knowing if he carries a disease that could make him prone to biting, such as It happened to a child last year. with a sea lion in California.

Redditors were frustrated with the family, with one commenter vocation It’s “infuriating.”

Do you think the United States does a good job protecting its natural beauty?

Definitely

Only in some areas

No way

I’m not sure

Click on your choice to see the results and say what you think

“This is really exhausting,” said another user. saying. “I saw a post here asking how Hawai’i is promoted to tourists… it’s obvious from these reactions that many tourists feel entitled to everything here, regardless of the rules, laws or regulations.”

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tipsand don’t get lost this great list of simple ways to help yourself and at the same time help the planet.