Authorities to investigate after sea turtle snacks on diving instructor’s hair
Authorities to investigate after sea turtle snacks on diving instructor’s hair
2025-10-28
You can be fined NT$300,000 for touching a sea turtle. But what if a turtle tries to eat your hair? A diver recently captured a video of one seeming to mistake an instructor’s hair for seagrass. It even went back a few times, leaving the other divers in stitches. The Pingtung animal protection office said that although the instructor didn’t intentionally touch the turtle, they would ask the coast guard to investigate whether they obstructed its feeding path.
As a diving instructor helps their student, a sea turtle suddenly makes a sharp turn toward them and nibbles on the instructor’s head. After a couple bites, the instructor looks up, but the turtle keeps on going. It seemed to have mistaken the diver’s hair for seagrass. The other divers can’t keep in their laughter.
I’ve encountered this before, but they’ve never actually bitten. They don’t actually eat anything.
Many diving instructors have had sudden run-ins with sea turtles. Afraid they’ll be accused of touching them, they usually rush away. But casual divers might not be as adept in the water, so how can you protect yourself?
Voice of Chih Tsun
Other diving instructor
The key is not to move. Maybe put your hand on your chest so you don’t accidentally brush the turtle. It’s better than leaving of your own initiative, since some beginners can’t control their movements and might kick or touch them when trying to get away.
Under the Act on Wildlife Conservation, you can be fined NT$300,000 for touching a sea turtle or even imprisoned for up to a year. But if approached by a turtle like this, at no fault of your own, can you still be fined?
Voice of Lee Chi-ya
Pingtung animal protection director
In the video, it appears the diver didn’t touch the turtle. But you can’t deliberately block its path. To see whether it may have violated the article against disturbing wildlife in the Act on Wildlife Conservation, the Pingtung County Government will forward the matter to the coast guard.
The best way to avoid getting fined over a misunderstanding is to keep a safe distance and give the sea life some space.
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#seaturtle #Xiaoliuqiu #Pingtung #diving #sealife #turtle #cuteanimal #wildlife #conservation
當海草? 小琉球海龜"啃食潛水教練頭髮" 同行者笑翻
2025-10-28
伸手觸碰海龜，會被罰三十萬，但如果是海龜來碰人呢？有民眾拍下，在小琉球潛水時，有海龜疑似把潛水教練的頭髮當成海草，來回啃了好幾次，讓同行的潛水客笑翻。不過，屏東縣動保科表示，雖然影片中的潛水教練沒有主動碰觸海龜，是否有阻擋海龜覓食的路徑，將會函送海巡隊來查處。
一名學員在教練的帶領之下，潛水拍攝海龜的身影，怎料海龜突然一個轉身，開始往下潛，朝教練的頭上啃了下去，一下兩下，教練抬起頭看著海龜，海龜換個角度，繼續啃，似乎把人類的頭髮當做是海草，讓拍攝的潛水客忍不住大笑。
“我有遇到過，但是牠不是真的咬下去，牠不是真的吃下去啦”
不少潛水教練都有過被海龜突襲的經驗，就怕被誤會是觸碰海龜，都會趕緊閃開，但一般潛水客在水中的行動，可能沒有辦法像教練一樣自如，又該如何自保。
[[聲源:其他潛水教練 志村]]
“原地不要動，就是手可能抱胸啊，就是不要讓手指不小心去碰到海龜，比起主動離開還要理想，因為有些學員沒辦法控制自己身體，在離開的時候可能會踢到牠或摸到牠”
依據動保法規定，碰觸到海龜可是會被罰三十萬，還要面臨一年以下刑期，像這樣海龜來碰人，並非人類主動，也要罰嗎？
[[聲源:屏東縣動保科長 李繼雅]]
“影片中看起來是沒有摸到啦，但是他不能夠就是說，刻意要阻擋牠的行動的路徑這樣，那是否是涉及野生動物保育法，騷擾海龜的規定，這部分屏東縣政府，也會再函送給海巡來進行酌處”
如果不想被誤會而遭開罰，最好就是離海龜遠一點，雙方保持安全距離，也給彼此多一些空間。
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