HONOLULU — Hawaii officials on Monday cited a Maui man seen on video snorkeling for allegedly harassing a humpback whale and pod of dolphins.
The man actively pursued the adolescent whale inside Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park off the Big Island, according to a Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources statement.
The agency said it received numerous calls from people reporting the harassment, as well as a video taken from the man’s public Facebook page. That video appears to show him snorkeling close enough to a humpback whale to almost touch the animal’s fin.
A law enforcement officer from the agency went to the park on Monday and recorded video of the man pursuing a pod of spinner dolphins. The officer said the man was leading a group chasing the dolphins.
The agency cited him for prohibited activity with indigenous wildlife and harassing wildlife in a state park.
The individual the agency identified as the defendant didn't immediately respond to a Facebook message seeking comment. He's due to appear in court on May 11.
As the warmer weather returns, bears will also come out of hibernation, making it common for you to encounter one in the wild. And, if you so happened to run into one, officials say there's one thing you should "never" do, that is "push a slower friend down" so that you can get away.
The National Park Service shared some advice on Tuesday, saying that you should refrain from pushing down someone slower "even if you feel the friendship has run its course."