VIDEO: Girl ‘Saves Turtle’ By Throwing It Into The Water… But Doesn’t Realize It Can’t Swim

by Greg Campbell | September 28, 2015 5:22 pm

A young woman made a horrible mistake recently as she tried to do something good. Unaware of the difference between a tortoise and a turtle, this young woman videotaped herself throwing a tortoise into the water to “save” him, unaware that the tortoise cannot swim. People were quick to point-out her mistake.[1]

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Many people may gloss over the difference between turtles and tortoises, though in some instances the distinction could mean life or death.

Internet commenters pointed out the difference after one young woman posted a video of herself on Snapchat throwing a ‘turtle’ into a pond while attempting to ‘save’ it.

However, the animal appears to actually be a gopher turtle, which cannot swim and could have died as a result of the videotaped rescue.

The young woman with the name tag ‘Kimberley’ opens the 14-second clip that has been reported by the Palm Beach Post [3]by saying ‘So here’s a little note to self. If anyone runs into a turtle, save it.’

‘Don’t just leave it on the road. They’re so cute,’ she continues while holding the animal.

Kimberly, whose name tag says she is from New York, then launches the tortoise into the pond while saying, ‘Turtle-saving is a hobby’.

It is not known how deep the water is, though the tortoise lands with a ‘kerplunk’ that suggests a fair amount of depth.

The reptile has been identified by Internet users as a gopher tortoise, which is listed as a federally threatened[4] animal in parts of coastal Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.

Gopher tortoises also can live in southern Georgia and Florida, where they are protected under state law.

Florida has seen a number of incidents of the tortoises mistakenly being thrown into the water, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission putting out a warning through My News 13[5].

The tortoise-throwing video is also not the first time that young women using Snapchat have recently come under fire for their behavior toward members of the Testudines family.

Stephanie Moore, 20, now faces up to five years in prison after posting a video of herself riding a sea turtle on a beach in Melbourne Florida.

It may have been a nice thought, but the young woman’s self-righteous assertion that she must save this turtle is indicative of a generational flaw that is found in this generation that values crusading over a reasonable, measured approach to the betterment of society.

In a nutshell, this generation’s sense of advocacy can be summarized thusly: “Don’t think; just DO!”