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A fitness influencer has sparked fury after appearing to ride a sea turtle while it was laying eggs.
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it → see → eggs
Vadym Oleynik, 32, was holidaying with his partner Olena Kravchenko when the bizarre incident took place in Oman.
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incident → holiday → Oman
Shocking photos circulating online appear to show the Ukrainian couple taking turns sitting on the turtle's shell in the Ras al Hadd area.
They were also accused of picking up newly hatched baby turtles.
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They → circulate → turtles
Oleynik, a sambo fighter and self-proclaimed world calisthenics champion, and Kravchenko, a cosmetic doctor, were reportedly accompanied by volunteers from an environmental organisation monitoring turtle nesting in the area.
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Oleynik → proclaim → area
The images triggered a furious backlash from conservationists.
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images → trigger → conservationists
Italian conservation project Biologicamente was among the first to highlight the incident.
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Biologicamente → highlight → incident
A fitness influencer has sparked fury after appearing to ride a sea turtle while it was laying eggs
Vadym Oleynik, 32, was holidaying with his partner Olena Kravchenko when the bizarre incident took place in Oman
Shocking photos circulating online appear to show the Ukrainian couple taking turns sitting on the turtle's shell
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couple → spark → shell
In a post online, the group wrote: 'These images speak for themselves.
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images → write → themselves
The photographs were published on a profile with 200,000 followers.
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photographs → publish → followers
Obviously, the author has already received a generous dose of abuse and was forced to disable the comments section.
'
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author → receive → section
But he immediately defended himself, claiming that he had done nothing wrong, had broken no laws and had not behaved improperly.
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he → defend → laws
'
It claimed a serious organisation with a scientific committee 'would NEVER allow its volunteers to sit on a turtle's shell just to take a s****y selfie'.
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volunteers → claim → selfie
This is exploitation, mistreatment and abuse - nothing resembling volunteering', their post said.
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post → resemble → volunteering
Oman's Environment Authority later said Oleynik's actions violated laws and regulations protecting wildlife.
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actions → say → wildlife
The authority said it had taken the 'necessary legal action against the individual concerned, in accordance with applicable legislation'.
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it → say → legislation
It also reiterated its opposition to behaviour that could harm wildlife or threaten its natural habitat.
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that → reiterate → habitat
Reports claimed Oleynik and Kravchenko had been detained by police, but this has not been confirmed
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this → claim → police
Oleynik describes himself as a world calisthenics champion and a Master of Sport in combat sambo
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Oleynik → describe → sambo
Reports later claimed Oleynik and Kravchenko had been detained by police.
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Oleynik → claim → police
However, there has been no official confirmation that the pair were detained, while Oleynik has continued posting pictures and videos from his holiday.
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Oleynik → detain → holiday
The influencer has since apologised, claiming he had been misled and did not intend to harm the turtle.
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he → apologise → turtle
He said: 'I didn't see the rules.
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I → say → rules
I made a mistake and apologise to everyone.
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I → make → everyone
Oleynik describes himself as a world calisthenics champion and a Master of Sport in combat sambo.
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Oleynik → describe → sambo
He has around 200,000 followers on one of his social media accounts.
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He → have → accounts