Oh no! A Ukrainian couple is coming under fire online after they filmed themselves riding a nesting sea turtle on a beach. Vadym Oleynik, 32, a fitness influencer and self-proclaimed calisthenics champion, and his partner Olena Kravchenko, an aesthetic doctor, had been sightseeing in Ras al Hadd, a coastal paradise off Oman where several species of sea turtles come ashore to nest. Despite being accompanied by environmental volunteers monitoring the site, the bozos decided it was a perfect opportunity to mess with the majestic marine reptiles, Jam Press reported. Vadym Oleynik rides a sea turtle in the Ras al Hadd area of Oman on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. JamPress Oleynik frequently uploads fitness photos for his more than 200,000 followers on Instagram. The viral JamPress photos, which were uploaded for Oleynik’s 200,000 Instagram followers, showed the pair taking turns sitting on one of the hapless creatures as it laid a clutch of eggs. In one clip, the ingenue is seen holding one of the newborn turtles as he tries to maintain balance aboard his unwilling steed. Spectators were horrified by the disgusting spectacle. “What sick scum of the earth!” commented one horrified X user, while another exclaimed: “They ABUSED a sweet, innocent animal for a laugh… They should be punished!” Olena Kravchenko rides a sea turtle. JamPress Oleynik holds a hatchling while on top of the marine reptile. JamPress Meanwhile, the Italian conservation project Biologicamente, which was one of the first to bring the incident to light, blamed the environmental organization for allowing this heinous act to occur. “An association run in a serious and professional manner, accompanied by a scientific committee, would never allow its volunteers to sit on a turtle shell to take a selfie,” they complained on Facebook. “I cannot accept such an abhorrent level of ignorance.” Meanwhile, Oman’s Environmental Authority claimed that the couple’s actions violated wildlife protection laws and said it had taken “necessary legal action” against the individuals involved, local media reported. They stated that this type of behavior could threaten the turtles and their habitat. Some reports indicated that Oleynik and Kravchenko had been detained, but these remain unverified as the influencer continued to upload photos from his vacation after the incident. Oleynik, who also describes himself as a Master of Sport in the Russian martial art of combat sambo, has since apologized for his behavior. The content creator claimed that he was misled by the organization and had no intention of harming the turtle. “I didn’t see the rules. I made a mistake and I apologize to everyone,” he said.
