asterix

Hello,

We are returning from a cruise in the Pacific. We had no problems in Hawaii, French Polynesia or Fiji. But things went wrong at the Isle of Pines, where we booked a nautical excursion with Mana Nautique, which seemed to be well listed on the Internet. From the beginning of the round, the company was negligent. After arriving late by half an hour, the employees did not seem to be aware of the number of passengers who booked the tour, and they finally put 19 people around 9:00 in a small zodiac that should not contain more than 12 passengers. All were very tight and could not be seated safely. We did not have a lifejacket, and we were never told if there was, where, or how much. During the first snorkeling stop, the guide informs us that there are sea turtles with big beaks, "almost tamed" and that we will swim in their company. The turtles actually swim next to the boat. The guide jumps into the water and approaches a large marine turtle, which she begins to manipulate and pull and lift out of the water from behind to encourage us to come and take a picture and touch it. I am the first to jump into the water from the boat and snorkel with my camera. I did not touch the turtle, because in Hawaii, we were well explained not to do it, not to hurt them or transmit diseases to them, and not to be bitten ourselves. But the turtle did not like to be touched and held against her will from behind by the guide, because she jumped on me (who was about a yard in front of her) attacking me, and she bit me three times, on both hands. I screamed in pain but the guide did not react and laughed. I struggled alone to clear my hands from the turtle's beak, screaming for half a minute. She told me that she "thought I was just afraid the huge turtle would come close to me". When I raised both my hands in blood, she finally realized that I was not having a panic attack. My son jumped into the water to assist me and towed me and helped me on board with the help of my husband and the boat's pilot.

In the boat, there was no first aid kit. I rinsed the bloody wounds with bottled water from a passenger, and made a bandage with a towel. There was also no ice to reduce pain and hematoma formation.

I asked to be brought back to our point of departure. I had to wait about an hour for the pilot to drop the other passengers on a small beach. There was no real hospital on the island (just a clinic with limited care).

In short, I had multiple fractures of both hands, which became infected and complicated and required hospitalization ...

Also, beware of this careless and dangerous company that does not respond to any mail, and continues, according to various testimonies, to manipulate and restrict wild turtles in their natural habitat, and to encourage their customers to pet and handle them, at the risk of serious injuries ...

Hello,

We are returning from a cruise in the Pacific. We had no problems in Hawaii, French Polynesia or Fiji. But things went wrong at the Isle of Pines, where we booked a nautical excursion with Mana Nautique, which seemed to be well listed on the Internet. From the beginning of the round, the company was negligent. After arriving late by half an hour, the employees did not seem to be aware of the number of passengers who booked the tour, and they finally put 19 people around 9:00 in a small zodiac that should not contain more than 12 passengers. All were very tight and could not be seated safely. We did not have a lifejacket, and we were never told if there was, where, or how much. During the first snorkeling stop, the guide informs us that there are sea turtles with big beaks, "almost tamed" and that we will swim in their company. The turtles actually swim next to the boat. The guide jumps into the water and approaches a large marine turtle, which she begins to manipulate and pull and lift out of the water from behind to encourage us to come and take a picture and touch it. I am the first to jump into the water from the boat and snorkel with my camera. I did not touch the turtle, because in Hawaii, we were well explained not to do it, not to hurt them or transmit diseases to them, and not to be bitten ourselves. But the turtle did not like to be touched and held against her will from behind by the guide, because she jumped on me (who was about a yard in front of her) attacking me, and she bit me three times, on both hands. I screamed in pain but the guide did not react and laughed. I struggled alone to clear my hands from the turtle's beak, screaming for half a minute. She told me that she "thought I was just afraid the huge turtle would come close to me". When I raised both my hands in blood, she finally realized that I was not having a panic attack. My son jumped into the water to assist me and towed me and helped me on board with the help of my husband and the boat's pilot.

In the boat, there was no first aid kit. I rinsed the bloody wounds with bottled water from a passenger, and made a bandage with a towel. There was also no ice to reduce pain and hematoma formation.

I asked to be brought back to our point of departure. I had to wait about an hour for the pilot to drop the other passengers on a small beach. There was no real hospital on the island (just a clinic with limited care).

In short, I had multiple fractures of both hands, which became infected and complicated and required hospitalization ...

Also, beware of this careless and dangerous company that does not respond to any mail, and continues, according to various testimonies, to manipulate and restrict wild turtles in their natural habitat, and to encourage their customers to pet and handle them, at the risk of serious injuries ...