A tourist has been slammed after he filmed himself urinating and giving the middle finger on Hawaii's sacred Mauna Kea.
Travis Upright has been forced to issue a grovelling apology after posting a crude video of him urinating on top of the tallest mountain in the Hawaiian Chain at 13,795 feet.
He uploaded the video to Instagram and claimed he needed to go to the toilet after the 11-hour hike.
Mr Upright said he thought he looked 'cool' making the rude gesture: "As many were doing. I (thought) it looked cool with the clouds underneath me and so I had a video taken.
"And the last minute flip off was just me being silly."
However, his antics were met with fierce criticism from social media users who said his actions were disrespectful.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs states on its website 'the volcano is a 'deeply sacred place, regarded as a shrine for worship, as a home to the gods, and as the piko of Hawaii Island.'
He has since issued three apology videos alongside a lengthy justification of his actions as he pleaded for forgiveness in the humbling u-turn.
Mr Upright said: "I'm so sorry to all of you. I was so arrogant and I just didn't get it. I'm beginning to and I humbly ask for your forgiveness...'
"I am so sorry that I hurt so many people. I want to understand what it means to hold life and the land so precious and sacred that I would protect it with my life.
"But not for me. But so I can teach it to the next generation after me. So that the pain ends with me. No more.
"I will do all I can to be more conscious everyday of the land and the people that have stewarded it.
"Not just here but everywhere."
The lengthy apology didn't seem to go down well with users who criticised him for not coming across as genuine.
One user wrote: "In all of this, you continue to inflate yourself" and another user was fed-up of his apology videos and claimed it was time for him to keep a low profile.
A user added: "Just be quiet already. True humility isn’t loud like this."
Although the video could be seen as 'culturally disrespectful', according to the State Department of Land and Natural Resources, Mr Upright will not face any consequences.
There are no state laws against weeing on sacred mountains - however island resident and Native Hawaiian activist Alfonso Kekuku said the man's actions were 'very disrespectful.'
She told KITV : "This is very disrespectful to 'aina, land and to the cultural practices of Native Hawaiians here, myself included.
"It was just the sense of entitlement and privilege, it almost says, 'I don't care about my choices and my actions here.
"I'm going to do whatever I'm going to do. I'm going to do whatever I want."
Ms Kekuku, however, said she appreciated his apology: "I'm very grateful that he's able to acknowledge his ignorance and that he was able to come forward to speak about how he messed up.
"Many people that move here, tourists, current residents, should really educate themselves about cultural sensitivities."
