The Pingtung County Environmental Protection Bureau earlier this week launched an investigation of several tourists who last week allegedly harassed wild sea turtles when diving and uploaded a video of the incident to YouTube, sparking public outrage.
The five-minute video purportedly shot in waters near Pingtung’s Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球) drew widespread condemnation after it was reposted on a scuba diving community page on Facebook.
Netizens said the video is a virtual compilation of what divers should not do when interacting with marine wildlife.
The video shows the tourists fondling sea turtles on the head at least five times, and one tourist is seen grabbing a turtle by the shell to prevent it from escaping, the bureau said.
“This behavior is outrageous,” the bureau said.
The Eighth Division of the National Police Agency’s Seventh Special Police Corps has been asked to conduct a criminal investigation, because the actions depicted in the video contravened the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法), the bureau said.
Police were attempting to identify the culprits, who could receive a fine of NT$60,000 to NT$300,000 or less than one year in prison, it added.
Local dive instructors said that the sea turtles near the island are more friendly to humans, and tourists often interact with them inappropriately by trying to touch them.
The island’s dive shop operators try to prevent such incidents by instructing their clients to maintain their distance from wildlife and avoid physical contact, which has successfully reduced the number of incidents, they said.
“You do not see criminals film their crime and set it to music,” one netizen said.
“Some people need punishment to be kept in line,” another netizen said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust