Tourists have been filmed burning their hands in a Yellowstone National Park hot spring.
The July 13 Instagram footage, taken by Meeka Vigue, who goes by the username @hikingstylist, shows tourists burning their hands while reaching down to touch the thermal spring. They back away quickly, shaking their hands against the burn.
On an Instagram caption, Vigue said the tourists had been "disrespectful."
"These tourists specifically were talking about how the person got in trouble the week before, but at least he got a life experience, so then they said, 'Let's all do it,'" Vigue told Newsweek. "I was just in shock to hear and then watch them all do it."
There are more than 10,000 geothermal features in Yellowstone National Park. The park is home to the world's greatest concentration of hot springs, geysers, mudpots, and steam vents, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This is because the park lies on a hydrothermal system, where magma bubbles deep below the surface.
These hot springs can be incredibly dangerous, and the National Park Service warns tourists not to get too close. Hot springs have "injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature," says the NPS.
"Keep your children close and don't let them run," the NPS warns on its website. The service also tells tourists not to touch the features under any circumstances.
Crouching down toward the features can be incredibly dangerous, as more than 20 people have died from burns after they either swam in, or fell into, the hot springs.
Hot springs can reach temperatures of 198 degrees Fahrenheit, while its steam vents can reach temperatures as high as 275 degrees F, the USGS reports. Falling into a hot spring can cause death in just a couple of minutes.
In August last year, part of a human foot and a shoe were found in one of Yellowstone's hot springs.
The remains were uncovered by a park employee on August 16, 2022, at the Abyss Pool, located in the south of Yellowstone. Before this incident, a man died in 2016 after he fell into a boiling spring and was dissolved by the acidic water.
"Fines encourage the young people to just have to pay to make a life statement or experience. We can't ruin futures over curiosity," Vigue wrote in an Instagram caption.
Yellowstone National Park is an incredibly popular tourist destination, but there are several rules that visitors must abide by to stay safe. This doesn't just include staying clear of the hot springs, but also of wildlife.
The park is home to wild animals such as bison, bears and wolves. The NPS warns visitors to stay 100 yards away from the latter two animals, and at least 25 yards away from all others.
However, sometimes, visitors ignore these rules, too. In June, the NPS warned tourists to keep their distance from bison after several incidents were brought to light where people were approaching the dangerous animals.
Update 8/9/23, 10:35 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include a quote from the original poster, Meeka Vigue.
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About the writer
Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
