China Anne McClain broke her silence after being criticised for touching resting sea turtles in Paia, Maui. The 26-year-old recently came under fire after a video, filmed by her sister Sierra McClain during their Hawaiian getaway, quickly went viral. In the now-deleted clip, the Disney star approached a group of sleeping turtles and caressed one of them on its back.
Disney's A.N.T Farm star China Anne McClain breaks silence after facing backlash for touching sea turtles
“Just found this turtle gem @mynameissisi captured on our Hawaii trip,” McClain captioned the clip shared on Instagram. “Found so many other pics from this beautiful, healing place that I might share. Don’t be shocked if I pack up & move to Maui one of these days!” New York Post reported.
The video garnered over half a million views and thousands of comments from furious netizens concerned about the endangered marine life. Hawaii's Governor Josh Green also called McClain out, telling her to “educate yourself on Hawaii’s laws and the importance of protecting our marine life before visiting our islands,” per the outlet.
“Please delete this video and do better,” Green added in the comments. The guidelines set by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) for wildlife viewing urge visitors to be “at least 10 feet away” from turtles and “avoid touching them.”
McClain has since apologised for her actions, insisting that the video was shot over two years ago when she was “unaware” of the state laws. “I was not fully aware of the situation until today, and I certainly wasn’t aware of the laws,” the A.N.T Farm star told the DLNR, per Hawaii News Now.
{{/usCountry}}McClain has since apologised for her actions, insisting that the video was shot over two years ago when she was “unaware” of the state laws. “I was not fully aware of the situation until today, and I certainly wasn’t aware of the laws,” the A.N.T Farm star told the DLNR, per Hawaii News Now.
{{/usCountry}}“It’s the people I don’t want to hurt. I understand respecting culture, and I understand the pain that comes with not having your culture respected. Those are never lines that we cross intentionally, so that part of this situation is hurting us right now. I adore these beautiful turtles, and the people of Hawaii. We’re very sorry,” McClain added.