Yes – too many times.
What bugs me is the attitude people have when you tell them that what they are doing is against federal law. I have tried different tones – from an authoritative tone (don’t do that) to one of an educator (did you know…) to one of caution (get away they bite)… and each one gets a response that is not the person moving away from the animal.
From my experience people listen if there is someone in a uniform (not necessarily a cop uniform – even one with an agency logo) asking people to comply with the law, then educating them.
The best and most perfect example are the volunteers of various local organizations – Hawaii Wildlife Foundation, Marine Mammal Stranding Network… and a few more. Who are out on the beach.
Talk about mixed messaging…while on a zodiac tour to the back side of Lanai we came upon sea turtles. We slipped into the water to observe and our youthful local guide two-hand-grabbed one of the giants by the shell and rode it or maybe 10 seconds as the turtle made for the bottom and the kid couldn’t hold on. No one else dared try it. We come to learn later it is illegal. That doesn’t seem to stop people on Kaanapali Beach when they see turtles and try to selfie with their underwater GoPro. I haven’t even mentioned the throngs of people who gather on the beach too closely to sleeping Monk Seals. BOH makes a good point. I will add that it is time for the hotels to lead and set a better example.
It’s a lack of common sense and absolutely no experience with wild animals that causes individuals to act with such disregard for the animals and their own welfare. I highly doubt that any messaging will help curtail this type of behavior in the people that would do it in the first place. The idea that they could be hurting the animals doesn’t even enter threir brain, just like they don’t understand that if a full sized whale was there they themselves would probably be dead. This is the portion of the population that would try to take a selfie with a grizzly bear by holding a jar of honey in their hand so that the bear would come closer. Just in case you aren’t sure, that would be a very bad idea. It’s just an unfortunate reality.
Combination of things…this all boiled over when SWA did their “SWA effect” expansion into the market. No, not all SWA pax’s are the culprit, but SWA definitely brought a new attitude to the market. They brought a disrespectful attitude towards Hawaiian, which is seen by most as a disrespect towards Hawaii.
Hawaiian Air is gone, finished, kaput, near bankrupt-deal with it.
CEO Ingram ran the company into the ground and he is getting out with his money while he can. Bad choices on planes, technology, customer service and Maui deaths doomed HA. Instead of blaming Southwest you might ask what Green, Bissen, and Pellitier were doing while Lahaina residents died and why they still have jobs?
Rob, my point wasn’t to blame SWA for HA’s financial straits, there were bigger issues that stem from 2019 on. The point was the way SWA entered the market. They fueled much of the anti tourist debate and the fact that a new breed of disrespectful tourists changed Hawaii. Seems the pro SWA folks go hand in hand with the folks that are offended by the State trying to curb some of the disrespect that has occurred of late….
Who are you to talk about new breed??? I’m buddies w the Hawaiians 55 years and they don’t hate us. I’ll tell you who they hate: Zuckerberg and Besos for taking 500 acres and then expecting their beaches to be their own. No private beaches in Hawaii. i suggest you folks go back to the likes of brudda IZ to know what We did. And show respect.
All you have to do is pull up the many videos on social media of individuals being gored by Bison, kicked by Kangaroo’s, attacked by Monkeys, jumping in wild cat cages at zoo’s etc etc etc to see that this behavior would continue even if hotels closed their Dolphin encounters.
Also here recently there’s been a rash of entitled celebrates on social media violating restricted animal and nature area’s being arrested and fined.
There’s always going to be a small percentage of morons that no matter how much you try to educate not to mess with wildlife they will continue to do so.
We visit Kihei every year for 6 weeks. We always see visitors on the beach rushing around the turtles on the beach and in the water. I yell at the them to get back and give them space but it always falls on deaf ears. I feel so bad for the turtles. Why do you not post the rules on the beaches??Help protect the wild life!!
Previous articles on BOH have mentioned that the mindful visitors messaging is misplaced and not well defined by Green/others and sends a mixed/bad message to visitors, I personally find the messaging that uses the term mindful visitors to be insulting.
Does it make sense to educate visitors regarding turtles/other wildlife? Of course it does, applying a label such as mindful visitors is probably not the best approach though.
We have similar issues with visitors approach wildlife such elk and moose where I live, but we educate people, we don’t make statements or use labels such as mindful or responsible visitors.
BTW… I have seen locals being told to stay away from turtles numerous times by lifeguards at Poipu beach.
Happiest dolphins i saw were while sailing back from oahu to s.f. on 52 footer. They followed us for a few miles, jumped in the air, then were *Free* to spin off by themselves. I think they really were smiling.
I find it very sad that many tourists have no idea on how to respect the ocean and ocean life. I am a Canadian and live on the prairies, very far from both oceans. To snorkel and swim in the ocean off the Big Island is the best part of vacationing there. Unfortunately, this tourist has to remind others continually when snorkelling at Two Step not to walk up to the shore and then walk on the coral into the ocean. It was so bad this year that we didnt go there as much. I think there should be a questionare to be answered before snorkeling equipment is rented or tour companies provide equipment to make people aware of the proper ocean ettiquete.
That is a good idea, having rental companies educate visitors renting equipment is a good first step.
It could be as simple as the rental person providing a flyer with some bullet points regarding etiquette as well as suggested snorkeling locations, or have it on the wall for renters to review.
Saw a T Shirt once, said: “Never underestimate the Stupidity of truly Stupid people” Seems to fit here.
Happy New Years.
Yes – too many times.
What bugs me is the attitude people have when you tell them that what they are doing is against federal law. I have tried different tones – from an authoritative tone (don’t do that) to one of an educator (did you know…) to one of caution (get away they bite)… and each one gets a response that is not the person moving away from the animal.
From my experience people listen if there is someone in a uniform (not necessarily a cop uniform – even one with an agency logo) asking people to comply with the law, then educating them.
The best and most perfect example are the volunteers of various local organizations – Hawaii Wildlife Foundation, Marine Mammal Stranding Network… and a few more. Who are out on the beach.
Talk about mixed messaging…while on a zodiac tour to the back side of Lanai we came upon sea turtles. We slipped into the water to observe and our youthful local guide two-hand-grabbed one of the giants by the shell and rode it or maybe 10 seconds as the turtle made for the bottom and the kid couldn’t hold on. No one else dared try it. We come to learn later it is illegal. That doesn’t seem to stop people on Kaanapali Beach when they see turtles and try to selfie with their underwater GoPro. I haven’t even mentioned the throngs of people who gather on the beach too closely to sleeping Monk Seals. BOH makes a good point. I will add that it is time for the hotels to lead and set a better example.
It’s a lack of common sense and absolutely no experience with wild animals that causes individuals to act with such disregard for the animals and their own welfare. I highly doubt that any messaging will help curtail this type of behavior in the people that would do it in the first place. The idea that they could be hurting the animals doesn’t even enter threir brain, just like they don’t understand that if a full sized whale was there they themselves would probably be dead. This is the portion of the population that would try to take a selfie with a grizzly bear by holding a jar of honey in their hand so that the bear would come closer. Just in case you aren’t sure, that would be a very bad idea. It’s just an unfortunate reality.
Combination of things…this all boiled over when SWA did their “SWA effect” expansion into the market. No, not all SWA pax’s are the culprit, but SWA definitely brought a new attitude to the market. They brought a disrespectful attitude towards Hawaiian, which is seen by most as a disrespect towards Hawaii.
Hawaiian Air is gone, finished, kaput, near bankrupt-deal with it.
CEO Ingram ran the company into the ground and he is getting out with his money while he can. Bad choices on planes, technology, customer service and Maui deaths doomed HA. Instead of blaming Southwest you might ask what Green, Bissen, and Pellitier were doing while Lahaina residents died and why they still have jobs?
Rob, my point wasn’t to blame SWA for HA’s financial straits, there were bigger issues that stem from 2019 on. The point was the way SWA entered the market. They fueled much of the anti tourist debate and the fact that a new breed of disrespectful tourists changed Hawaii. Seems the pro SWA folks go hand in hand with the folks that are offended by the State trying to curb some of the disrespect that has occurred of late….
Who are you to talk about new breed??? I’m buddies w the Hawaiians 55 years and they don’t hate us. I’ll tell you who they hate: Zuckerberg and Besos for taking 500 acres and then expecting their beaches to be their own. No private beaches in Hawaii. i suggest you folks go back to the likes of brudda IZ to know what We did. And show respect.
Answer: No
All you have to do is pull up the many videos on social media of individuals being gored by Bison, kicked by Kangaroo’s, attacked by Monkeys, jumping in wild cat cages at zoo’s etc etc etc to see that this behavior would continue even if hotels closed their Dolphin encounters.
Also here recently there’s been a rash of entitled celebrates on social media violating restricted animal and nature area’s being arrested and fined.
There’s always going to be a small percentage of morons that no matter how much you try to educate not to mess with wildlife they will continue to do so.
We visit Kihei every year for 6 weeks. We always see visitors on the beach rushing around the turtles on the beach and in the water. I yell at the them to get back and give them space but it always falls on deaf ears. I feel so bad for the turtles. Why do you not post the rules on the beaches??Help protect the wild life!!
Previous articles on BOH have mentioned that the mindful visitors messaging is misplaced and not well defined by Green/others and sends a mixed/bad message to visitors, I personally find the messaging that uses the term mindful visitors to be insulting.
Does it make sense to educate visitors regarding turtles/other wildlife? Of course it does, applying a label such as mindful visitors is probably not the best approach though.
We have similar issues with visitors approach wildlife such elk and moose where I live, but we educate people, we don’t make statements or use labels such as mindful or responsible visitors.
BTW… I have seen locals being told to stay away from turtles numerous times by lifeguards at Poipu beach.
Happiest dolphins i saw were while sailing back from oahu to s.f. on 52 footer. They followed us for a few miles, jumped in the air, then were *Free* to spin off by themselves. I think they really were smiling.
I find it very sad that many tourists have no idea on how to respect the ocean and ocean life. I am a Canadian and live on the prairies, very far from both oceans. To snorkel and swim in the ocean off the Big Island is the best part of vacationing there. Unfortunately, this tourist has to remind others continually when snorkelling at Two Step not to walk up to the shore and then walk on the coral into the ocean. It was so bad this year that we didnt go there as much. I think there should be a questionare to be answered before snorkeling equipment is rented or tour companies provide equipment to make people aware of the proper ocean ettiquete.
That is a good idea, having rental companies educate visitors renting equipment is a good first step.
It could be as simple as the rental person providing a flyer with some bullet points regarding etiquette as well as suggested snorkeling locations, or have it on the wall for renters to review.