A snorkeller was criticised for grabbing an endangered sea turtle while swimming in the Philippines.

The holidaymaker was with a group of island-hoppers that stopped to explore the corals and watch the marine life off the coast of Cebu province on March 9 afternoon.

She was enjoying the view like everybody else but other tourists from another boat were shocked when she suddenly swam to the bottom and touched the turtle that had been searching the corals for food.

Footage shows the woman patting the green sea turtle's shell and even seeming to push it away so she could launch herself back to the surface of the water.

The filmer said: 'She could understand simple instructions. The guides kept saying that it was prohibited to touch the sea turtles, but she didn't only touch one of them but pushed it also.'

Following the incident, the local government reminded tourists to stay off marine life.

Mayor Inocentes Cabaron said: 'The tourists are briefed on the proper conduct, and they are told not to touch the marine life because we have a local ordinance that protects them.

'It is disappointing that despite the briefing and regular reminders, incidents like this happen.'

The green sea turtle is classed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Mass tourism is considered a major threat to sea turtle populations and a key contributor to their endangered status. An increased human presence on nesting beaches, along with beach furniture, recreational activities, and vehicular traffic, disturbs nesting turtles and hatchlings and even crushes their eggs.