One mainland tourist refused to let a beach closure ruin her birthday getaway in Hawaii.
In a TikTok posted Sept. 26, North Carolina visitor Nuri Abdullah appeared to ignore an official closure at Maui’s Waiʻānapanapa State Park, saying she would continue into the area despite the warning signs.
“You see this? Guess what. I don’t care about it. I’mma go down anyway,” Abdullah said as she moved past a sign reading “BEACH AND HIKING TRAILS CLOSED.”
The popular black sand beach had been shut down because of hazardous conditions linked to Hurricane Polo. Even so, Abdullah entered the park, recorded the powerful shoreline and displayed rocks she found along the coast.
“Black sand beach, we got some waves,” she said in the video. “Look at these beautiful black rocks. Black sand that has minerals and s–t.”
Hawaii officials later warned that the scenic setting posed far more than a routine inconvenience.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said Waiʻānapanapa was closed because of intense rain, high winds, potential flash flooding, falling debris and dangerous ocean conditions. Officials said Abdullah passed through a locked gate and ignored two additional signs before reaching the beach.
“When we look at the video here, clearly she’s trespassing,” DLNR spokesperson Andrew Laurence told Hawaii News Now. “The park was closed. That means the gate at the road was locked and then she went past the two signs that said that the area was closed.”
Laurence added that the rough surf visible in Abdullah’s own footage underscored the danger she had entered.
“She could have died before anybody could get to her,” he said.
The incident also angered residents of Hana, who said the violation was about more than disregarding a safety order.
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According to DLNR, Waiʻānapanapa is home to culturally important sites, including historic locations, burial grounds and a heiau, or traditional Hawaiian place of worship.
“There’s a certain level of respect that anybody should have when visiting that space,” resident Giselle Davidson told the outlet. “And unfortunately, in this case, it was pretty clear that she was trying to get attention and she was breaking the law.”
Criticism quickly spread across social media as viewers reacted to the viral Hawaii beach video.
“Then they wonder why Hawaii people don’t like tourists!” one commenter wrote.
“I don’t get why folks choose to visit a place then disrespect it,” another person said.
Two days after the video gained attention, Abdullah apologized. She acknowledged that she knew the beach was closed but said she had not meant to disrespect Hawaii or its people.
“I want to take time out to apologize for the recent video that’s been causing a lot of drama and it’s just been a lot,” she said in a follow-up TikTok. “To all the Hawaiian natives, I do want to apologize to you guys for disrespecting your land and for ignoring the sign.”
“To all the people who are being disrespectful, rude and sending me threats, you guys can go to hell,” Abdullah continued.
Hawaii administrative rules allow authorities to impose a fine of $500 to $2,000 for entering a closed state park, along with a possible jail sentence of up to 30 days.
It remains unclear whether state officials will pursue further action against her.
