Oman – Influencer Vadym Oleynik rode an endangered and protected sea turtle while holding its tiny little baby in his hand. Now, the authorities are stepping in.

In the clip, which has since been deleted from his Instagram account, Oleynik can be seen riding on the back of a large sea turtle, PEOPLE Magazine reports.

While the influencer sits on the animal, it is clearly frightened and desperately trying to get away from him. Oleynik also held a freshly hatched turtle baby in his hand.

Footage of his partner, Olena Kravchenko, on the turtle's shell was also released. The images spread quickly and sparked intense criticism.

World Saudis accuse Houthis of attacking holy city amid explosions in Yemen's capital

According to TVP World, the footage was taken at the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve, a major nesting site for green sea turtles.

For Oleynik, the incident apparently isn't ending with just a social‑media backlash. Oman's environmental authority said on September 27 that it is closely monitoring the circulating video.

Particularly noteworthy: Oman's authorities have indicated they are initiating legal proceedings against both of them.

After the massive criticism, Oleynik spoke up himself. In an Instagram story he apologized to Oman's environmental authority and to the agencies responsible for protecting the green sea turtles.

He explained that he hadn't seen the rules and called his actions a mistake. He said he didn't intend to hurt the turtle or do it any harm.