A wily sea turtle managed to give a group of cruel bathers the slip after they tried to grab it for a selfie.
Four men tried to corner the sea reptile as it outmanoeuvred them in the shallows.
They could be seen lunging at it repeatedly as it darted into deeper waters in a bid to shake them off.
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Onlooker Tarciso Santiago said that the turtle managed to escape.
He revealed it wasn’t the first time he’d seen beachgoers trying to grab turtles for selfies.
Biologist Vinícius Santos explained why the reptile was so close to the beach in Arraial do Cabo, east of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
He told local media: “Turtles come to the shore to rest in the calm waters and search for food, like algae.”
There were a spate of similar turtle-grabbing incidents in Alcobaça – to the north – in 2021.
Oceanographer and environmentalist Marcello Lourenço explained at the time: “It can cause emotional stress.
“Sometimes they come to feed or lay eggs. The stress disrupts their whole natural cycle, and it’s really frustrating.”
Beachgoers who grab turtles are in breach of animal mistreatment laws and risk fines or even imprisonment.
Officials recommend contacting the local environment department upon finding a turtle in distress, as reported on Need To Know.
A local – called Laís – said: “I was there, exploring this paradise, and I was really shocked.
“Every boat had loud music, there were so many people on them, and the navy was right by the shore, just ignoring all the noise.
“If they want to preserve this place, they need to start limiting the number of tours.”
Marcelo added: “If they were kids, it might be understandable. But seeing adults doing this is just sad.”
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