Another whimsically careless touron is making the rounds on Instagram for their move-with-the-tides attitude toward sea life.
Tourons, or tourists who are inconsiderate of the environment they're visiting and the people around them, catch attention from time to time for committing dangerous or disrespectful acts in nature.
In this Instagram post from Tourons of National Parks (@touronsofnationalparks) two tourists walk by a sea lion on the beach, with one stopping to antagonize it.
While cameras watch from above and the second person in the pair moves on, this individual begins to imitate the sea lion, going on all fours mere feet away from the animal. The touron even flops around and rolls toward the sea lion as onlookers laugh and the animal shows signs of agitation.
Eventually, the sea lion shows its better judgment and returns to the sea, and the tourist gets up to run after their friend.
Tourists like this negatively impact the environments they visit, the people they visit with, and the wildlife they are meant to spectate from a safe distance. It is also dangerous for humans to approach wildlife with such a lack of caution or expertise.
While sea lions aren't known to attack humans unprovoked, there are already plenty of examples of aggressive behavior when sick or threatened. For their part, California Sea Lions can grow to be 7 feet long and weigh up to 850 pounds, making them a dangerous encounter on land or sea.
While connecting with nature should be encouraged, as it has been linked to better personal and social health, tourists like these aren't helping anyone get there.
Folks who disrespect natural areas should remember that the area is protected for the flora and fauna, not for humans. Actions that stress or endanger wildlife are discouraged by the National Park Service.
Commenters on the post had little sympathy and a lot of disdain for the individual seen disturbing the wildlife.
One user admired the sea lion's judgment: "Sea Lion is just shaking his head moving away from the crazy."
Another saw a unique opportunity to express concern: "For a moment there I thought his fate was sealed."
Finally, someone made a character assessment of the touron in the video: "Wisdom has been chasing him for a long time, but he has always been faster."
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