On Dec. 27, a baby humpback whale showed signs of distress and tried to beach itself off Waikiki. As beachgoers tried pushing the whale back into the water, one woman was caught on camera mounting and riding the distressed whale.
In the wake of this video, the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) issued a statement reminding visitors to respect wildlife. "One of the key messages in HTA's visitor education program is that wildlife should be admired from afar. This incident reminds us all that the right thing to do when coming across wildlife is to respect their space, and if they are in trouble, notify the authorities," said Mufi Hannemann, HTA board chair, in a press release.
HTA states that if a beachgoer comes across a stranded or injured marine animal to call NOAA's marine wildlife hotline at (888) 256-9840, or the Department of Land & Natural Resources at (808) 643-3567. Do not chase or corral the animal, the agency said.