Tourists Get Unreasonably Offended When Local Hawaiian Tells Them To Back TF Away From Endangered Seals

Author image for kalila courban
kalila courban
May 14, 2022 2:00 PM EDT

Okay, we want to start this off by saying that we value the importance of endangered animals tremendously and believe we as humans need to do everything in our power to help endangered species recover and succeed. Now that our position is overwhelmingly clear, we bring you to the debacle of the day. Soooo what had happened was…a couple of tourists visiting Hawaii were getting dangerously close to a roped-off area containing Hawaiian seal monks, one of the most endangered species in the world.

A local Hawaiian woman walks by, witnesses the tourists attempting to get closer to the seals, and promptly tells them to back tf away. These tourists have the audacity to take offense to her warning. Y'all, it ain't personal, it's about protecting an endangered species, simple as that. We completely support this woman in her attempts to protect the chonki boi seals who were just trying to catch a few sun rays on the beach. To the original poster of this thread- you are totally NOT the a-hole and don't you forget it! 

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  • 01
    Organism - Posted by u/silverwings707 1 year ago ,6 12 AITA for sort of yelling at some tourists to get away from an endangered local species?
    via silverwings707
  • 02
    Font - Here in Hawaii, we have the Hawaiian Monk Seal which is one the most endangered seal species in the world. Whenever one of these chonky babies wants to sunbathe on the shore, the DLNR (department of land and natural resources) will post up a rope and signs with a 10-15 foot radius around the seal as it's technically illegal to get close to this endangered species and you can get fined. Cut to today at the beach, there's a big chonky boi there, rope posted, but no signs around. I also don'
    via silverwings707

    "This is a beach that's often visited by the monk seals and is only accessible by kayak. Tourists and locals alike paddle out here, and the company that rents the kayaks DOES state in its introduction video to keep away from the seals." 

    TELL THEM SIS. 

  • 03
    Font - Cut to me walking back over with my husband, brother, and brother's friend, and I see it happening again with another tourist couple, 3 feet away from this animal, squatting to take pictures up close. At this point, I'm peeved enough to walk over and basically tell these people off. Which I do. The words I said were essentially "Hey! There's a rope here for a reason, this is an endangered species, you need to be behind the rope" (in a not so nice tone). To which they reply "well I don't s
    via silverwings707

    "Cut to me walking back over with my husband, brother, and brother's friend, and I see it happening again with another tourist couple, 3 feet away from this animal, squatting to take pictures up close. At this point, I'm peeved enough to walk over and basically tell these people off. Which I do."

    It needed to be done, and you done did it. 

  • 04
    Handwriting - It's a big guy and his girlfriend, wife, whatever, and I'm a 5'1" small local woman, so both of them start telling me not to be an asshole about it and that I could've been nicer. At which point my brother and his friend come to back me up (husband is standing behind me telling me to let it go). Needless to say, the big guy and my brother get into it (big brother brownie points for that), but we all end up going our separate ways.
    via silverwings707

    "It's a big guy and his girlfriend, wife, whatever, and I'm a 5'1" small local woman, so both of them start telling me not to be an asshole about it and that I could've been nicer."

    Orrr the tourists could have assumed that the ropes were there for a reason and avoided this unpleasant exchange altogether! But hey, what do we know. 

  • 05
    Font - His significant other also chose to tell me that she respects animals and works in a vet's office. Now I've been a licensed veterinary technician for almost 10 years, and have also worked with both the local zoo and local aquarium-esque park. I could have shut her down right then and there but chose not to as things were already getting pretty heated.
    via silverwings707
  • 06
    Handwriting - So, am I the asshole for going off on them? I mean, I get that I could have been nicer about it (tactful, as my husband chose to say), but there were multiple opportunities for them to stop and say, hey, I don't think we should be this close. There's the kayak rental video, the rope, and just general common sense. Also if you're visiting an area shouldn't you have somewhat of a general idea of things to do/things not to do? Am I the asshole?
    via silverwings707
  • 07
    Font - xbox-kid321· 1 yr. ago S 8 Partassipant [1] NTA, chonky bois need to be protected. Good on your brother and his friend for backing you up. 5.6k Give Award Share Report Save
    via xbox-kid321
  • 08
    Font - silverwings707 OP · 1 yr. ago Honestly the chonky bois can't protect themselves, they need us. They're just lazy sea puppies and I love them. 3.3k Give Award Share Report Save deleted99 · 1 yr. ago You are absolutely in the right I dont think i need to say how absurd some tourists are
    via silverwings707
  • 09
    Font - Carbonatite · 1 yr. ago Have you ever been to Yellowstone? The amount of people who get super close to bison is ridiculous. Worst thing I saw was a group of tourists literally encircling a bison while taking photos. Probably 10 feet away, max. I'm no wildlife biologist, but I feel like a group of 15 people completely surrounding a 2000 Ib wild animal is probably a recipe for disaster. He ended up just chilling (they're probably used to it) but it wss shocking how ignorant of danger some p
    via Carbonatite
  • 10
    Mammal - plsletmestayincanada · 1 yr. ago Partassipant [4] NTA you have my seal of approval
    via plsletmestayincanada
  • 11
    Font - KaizureTheRed · 1 yr. ago Certified Proctologist [22] OP: Rope is there for a reason! Smug Tourists: I dOn'T sEe AnY sIgNs. OP: There's still a rope. Smug Tourists: OMG YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SOOOO MEAN! :( :( :( NTA.
    via KaizureTheRed
  • 12
    Font - HitDerem2115 · 1 yr. ago· edited 1 yr. ago NTA live here and have a degree in marine biology. Didn't even read rest of paragraph. NTA NTA NTA. They are critically endangered and idgaf if the tourists feelings were hurt. One time I kayaked to the Mokes and there was an adult monk seal around the corner from where I landed and I legit just didn't see it bc I was focusing on my landing spot and I thought it was a giant rock lol. Someone yelled to get my attention - I said thank you and moved
    via HitDerem2115

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aita thread endangered seal seals cute animals tourists Hawaii monk-seal Reddit animals
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