Warning: This story includes an image of a dead turtle, which some readers may find disturbing. 

A post of a dead turtle with its shell missing that was shared in a Facebook group received more than 700 comments and 3,000 reactions. The anonymous poster, who has lived in Ewa Beach for 42 years and walks along Hau Bush Beach daily, wrote that they had “never seen anything like this until tonight.”

Despite the attention on the heartbreaking post in the Stolen Stuff Hawaii Facebook group, the Department of Land and Natural Resources said they can’t verify the image and are unable to investigate further because of insufficient details. DLNR emphasized the importance of direct reporting for investigations to move forward.

A screenshot of a post that appeared in the Stolen Stuff Hawaii Facebook group.

“We have the DLNR TipApp which allows people who see suspected violations to report them when they see them. Witness information and photographs can help us investigate a case and potentially bring charges,” said Chief Jason Redulla of the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement in the news release. 

The only notification that DLNRTipApp received about the incident was a copy of the original social media post. DLNR encouraged the person who witnessed the dead, shell-less turtle to follow-up by contacting either DLNR, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or NOAA law enforcement to provide more information.

“We know it’s frustrating when people only report violations via social media and nothing happens. Unfortunately, in most cases there’s not enough information to conduct thorough investigations,” said Brian Neilson, administrator of the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources. 

People can report information to the DLNRTipApp anonymously. When using the app, people are asked to provide the who, what, when, and where needed by law enforcement for successful prosecutions. 

“Most of these egregious violations that we become aware of through social media channels rarely have the necessary information, so we can’t even know where to begin looking,” said Redulla.

DLNR asked that anyone who spends time in or around the ocean to download the free reporting application and to input reporting hotlines for DLNR, NOAA, and FWS into their phones so reports to authorities can be received quickly. 

To report suspected violations:

• Download the DLNRTip App on your iOS or Android
• DLNR 24-Hour Hotline: 808-643-DLNR (3-5-6-7)
• FWS Hotline: 1-844-FWS-TIPS (3-9-7-8-4-7-7) or visit wildlife crime tips
• NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline: 888-256-9840