Mutilated sea turtle sparks outcry against reckless boating practices in Malaysia

MALAYSIA: A distressing incident involving a deceased sea turtle has come to light, highlighting the irresponsible behavior of boatmen in the waters near Pulau Redang, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.

The incident was captured in a video that rapidly spread across the popular social media platform, TikTok.

The 68-second TikTok video, originally posted by the user “lildenk” on Instagram on Monday (28 Aug), portrays the grim scene of a sea turtle’s lifeless body drifting in the open sea.

The turtle’s body was found mutilated, with its internal organs exposed and protruding from its shell.

The video, later reposted by the TikTok user “ganuonthego” on Wednesday, sheds light on the dire consequences of reckless navigation by boatmen and tourist boat operators.

@ganuonthego

Sedih tapi itulah hakikatnya . Kita tidak salahkan kepada kepada pengusaha ataupun kepada pelancong tapi hanya sekadar mahu mereka untuk lebih berhati-hati . Tahniah Team @ir . @Hassand #fyp #foryou #photography #masukberanda #turtle #penyu #redang #redangisland #telukdalam #beautifulterengganu #beautifulterengganumalaysia #visitbeautifulterengganu #terengganu #terengganudaruliman

♬ Overcome – Skott

According to the video’s owner, the injuries sustained by the sea turtle were a result of the boatmen’s careless and high-speed manoeuvres near the island.

The owner of the video earnestly urged boat operators to exercise caution and maintain a reasonable speed when navigating in the vicinity of the island.

He also implored them to avoid touching, holding, or attempting to ride these majestic creatures, as it causes harm to them.

The TikTok video has garnered significant attention, amassing over one million views and receiving more than 94 thousand likes.

This engagement has sparked a series of poignant responses from netizens, highlighting the delicate balance between appreciating the natural world and inadvertently causing harm to it.

One TikTok user expressed the sentiment that visits to such awe-inspiring locations often lead to a paradoxical situation where the environment inadvertently suffers due to human oversight.

Another user shared their initial misconception about the white objects atop the turtle’s shell, initially mistaking them for plastic debris, only to realize that they were the creature’s exposed inner organs.

An additional comment underscored the potential danger posed by speeding boats and their propellers, which can inadvertently injure and fatally harm these marine animals, especially in shallow water.

In a touching act, a group of individuals featured in the video took the responsibility of respectfully burying the deceased turtle.

Their hope is that such distressing incidents can be prevented in the future, as the vulnerability of sea turtles escalates, pushing them closer to the brink of endangerment.