Oman Investigates Influencer Couple Over Photos Sitting on Nesting Sea Turtle
The Environment Authority of Oman has initiated an inquiry and stated that it has taken "necessary legal action" against Ukrainian influencer Vadym Oleynik. This follows an incident where he and his fiancée, Olena Kravchenko, were photographed on the back of a sea turtle at Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve, located on the eastern coast of Oman. The now-removed Instagram posts, which reached Oleynik's approximately 200,000 followers, depicted the couple sitting on the turtle's shell while holding hatchlings. Oleynik also shared a video of himself on the turtle, which appeared to move, causing him to fall off before he climbed back on. The authority is "closely following" the viral footage, labeling it as "disturbing to sea turtles" and a breach of wildlife protection laws. Following backlash, Oleynik privatized his account and issued an apology, calling the incident a "mistake."
Key facts
- Vadym Oleynik and Olena Kravchenko posed on a sea turtle laying eggs at Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve in Oman
- Oman's Environment Authority opened an investigation and said it took "necessary legal action" against Oleynik
- The couple's now-deleted Instagram posts reached Oleynik's roughly 200,000 followers
- Photos showed each of them seated on the adult turtle's shell while holding a hatchling
- Video showed Oleynik falling from the turtle's back, climbing back on, and holding a baby turtle in the air
- The authority called the behavior "a violation of the laws and regulations governing wildlife protection in the region"
- Oleynik is from Ukraine and later set his Instagram account to private
- In an apology video he called the incident a "mistake" and apologized to Oman's Environmental Authority and the green sea turtle protection agency
Entities
Artists
- Vadym Oleynik
- Olena Kravchenko
Institutions
- Oman's Environment Authority
- Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve
- PetaPixel
Locations
- Oman
- Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve
- Arabian Peninsula
- Ukraine