PHANG NGA, THAILAND – Authorities launched a manhunt after an unknown tourist fed a protected sea turtle a yellow plastic wristband in a Thai marine national park.
Video captures turtle swallowing plastic wristband
The incident occurred during a dive trip in the Mu Ko Similan National Park, one of Thailand’s best-known marine reserves. Video footage clearly showed a hand holding out a yellow quick-release wristband to a green sea turtle, which snapped at the object and swallowed it immediately. The person behind the camera, Supawinee Tangphithak, only noticed the act later.
“I realized what had happened when I reviewed the footage at home. By then it was too late to identify the person,”
said Supawinee Tangphithak, the diver who filmed the scene.
Sea turtle treated at Phuket marine clinic
Officials managed to locate the affected turtle and rushed it for treatment to the Phuket Marine Biological Centre, which specializes in marine animals. Veterinarians there carried out a thorough examination using an endoscope, x-rays and a special contrast-agent technique to find the wristband. It was located in the middle section of the turtle’s digestive tract, where it could interfere with normal digestion, but the medical outlook remained cautiously positive.
Doctors expect natural expulsion within 30–40 days
According to Pinsak Suraswadi, director of the marine authority, the animal was in unexpectedly good condition. The turtle showed no external injuries, responded normally and had acceptable blood values. Experts expected the turtle to pass the wristband naturally within the next 30 to 40 days and kept it under close veterinary observation in case complications arose.
Authorities issue sharp warning to tourists
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources used the case to issue a strong warning to visitors.
“Tourists should never feed or touch marine animals,”
said the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources in a statement. Officials stressed that foreign objects could cause internal injuries, blockages, infections and death, and described the act as grossly negligent and in violation of animal welfare.
Reward offered in hunt for unidentified tourist
The national park authority began an urgent search for the unidentified tourist and offered a reward for information leading to the person’s capture. Anyone able to identify the individual from the dive boat was urged to call hotline 1362, as investigations continued. Authorities said the case illustrated a broader problem of disrespect for nature in sensitive protected areas, warning that such behavior could be fatal for endangered sea turtles.
Call for responsibility in fragile marine parks
Thailand appealed to all visitors to act responsibly around wildlife and ecosystems. Officials emphasized that the natural beauty of the Similan Islands must not be destroyed by thoughtless cruelty to animals. The incident was cited as a stark reminder that, in fragile marine parks, a single careless act can have lasting consequences for vulnerable species.