A fitness influencer has sparked fury after riding a sea turtle while it was laying eggs.

Vadym Oleynik, 32, was holidaying with his partner Olena Kravchenko when the incident took place in Oman.

Images circulating online show the Ukrainian couple taking turns sitting on the turtle’s shell in the Ras al Hadd area.

They were also accused of picking up newly hatched baby turtles.

Oleynik, a sambo fighter and self-proclaimed world calisthenics champion, and Kravchenko, a cosmetic doctor, were reportedly accompanied by volunteers from an environmental organisation monitoring turtle nesting in the area.

The images triggered a furious backlash from conservationists.

Italian conservation project Biologicamente was among the first to highlight the incident.

In a post online, the group wrote: ‘These images speak for themselves. The photographs were published on a profile with 200,000 followers.

‘Obviously, the author has already received a generous dose of abuse and was forced to disable the comments section.

‘But he immediately defended himself, claiming that he had done nothing wrong, had broken no laws and had not behaved improperly.’

 It claimed a serious organisation with a scientific committee ‘would NEVER allow its volunteers to sit on a turtle’s shell just to take a s****y selfie’.

‘It is disgusting and unpleasant. This is exploitation, mistreatment and abuse – nothing resembling volunteering’, their post said.

Oman’s Environment Authority later said Oleynik’s actions violated laws and regulations protecting wildlife.

The authority said it had taken the ‘necessary legal action against the individual concerned, in accordance with applicable legislation’.

It also reiterated its opposition to behaviour that could harm wildlife or threaten its natural habitat.

Reports later claimed Oleynik and Kravchenko had been detained by police.

However, there has been no official confirmation that the pair were detained, while Oleynik has continued posting pictures and videos from his holiday.

The influencer has since apologised, claiming he had been misled and did not intend to harm the turtle.

He said: ‘I didn’t see the rules. I made a mistake and apologise to everyone.’

Oleynik describes himself as a world calisthenics champion and a Master of Sport in combat sambo. He has around 200,000 followers on one of his social media accounts.