A fitness influencer who posted a video of himself sitting on a sea turtle in Oman has apologized after the country’s environmental agency said it took legal action over the encounter.
Vadym Oleynik, a Ukrainian fitness creator with more than 200,000 Instagram followers, originally shared footage of himself on the shell of a large sea turtle in Ras Al Hadd. His partner, Olena Kravchenko, also appeared in images posing on the animal.
Oleynik later deleted the footage, but copies spread across social media, including a repost by Channel 5 News. The video appears to show the turtle moving beneath Oleynik as he sits on its shell, while other circulating footage and images show the pair interacting with turtles and hatchlings.
Oman’s Environment Authority responded Sept. 27, saying it was following a circulating video of a tourist engaging in acts that disturbed sea turtles in Ras Al Hadd. The agency said the conduct violated the country’s wildlife-protection laws and regulations and that “necessary legal action” had been taken against the person involved.
The agency did not identify that person by name, disclose a specific charge or say what the legal action involved. Reports that Oleynik and Kravchenko were detained have circulated online, but no detention has been publicly confirmed by Omani officials.
Still Circulating
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Oleynik addressed the criticism after the original post disappeared from his Instagram page.
In an apology reported by PEOPLE, he apologized to Oman’s Environment Authority and the organization protecting the green sea turtles.
“I didn’t see the rules,” Oleynik said. “I made a mistake.”
He also said he had not intended to hurt the turtle.
The explanation came after the encounter drew criticism from conservation-focused accounts, including Biologicamente, which helped draw wider attention to the footage.
Protected Ground
Ras Al Hadd is not simply a beach where turtles occasionally turn up.
The nearby Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve describes its coastline as an internationally important nesting area for endangered green turtles. The protected reserve was established in 1996 and includes controlled public access intended to allow people to observe nesting without disrupting it.
The reserve’s visitor information says turtle viewing is offered through guided nighttime and dawn excursions that allow visitors to observe the nesting process without interfering with the animals.
After the Oleynik video circulated, the Environment Authority issued more direct instructions: visitors should refrain from touching, approaching or disturbing sea turtles at nesting sites.
The agency also said it would not tolerate practices that harm wildlife or threaten natural habitats and asked the public to report violations.
Oman’s response came during the same weekend that the Environment Authority held an environmental legislation forum in South Al Sharqiyah, focused specifically on protecting sea turtles. The Sept. 27 event covered wildlife laws, enforcement measures and the ecological importance of the Ras Al Hadd reserve.
Oleynik, who describes himself online as a fitness coach based in Abu Dhabi, has continued posting on Instagram since the incident. Omani officials have not publicly announced the outcome of the legal action.