A Brazilian couple is under investigation for damaging the environment after a video showed them coloring a waterfall blue for a gender reveal party over the weekend.
The couple added a large amount of blue dye into the Queima Pé river to make a waterfall turn blue for the occasion.
The Queima-Pé River waterfall, located near the Tangará da Serra municipality, has long been an ecological tourist destination. The river is a source of water for the municipality – a farming town that has already been affected by multiple droughts.
Video footage shared on social media showed the couple celebrating the upcoming arrival of their baby boy on the banks of the river as the dyed water flows over the edge of the waterfall. Watch the clip below:
The couple, who have not been identified in the media, immediately deleted the clip after it sparked outrage on social media with many raising concerns over the contamination of the river.
"Congratulations...you will be the parents of a beautiful environmental crime," commented environmental engineer Vanessa Costa.
Environment Secretary Releases Statement
The breadth of the backlash brought the local authorities' attention to the stunt. "The inspection will investigate the environmental damage caused by the material thrown into the water," the Environment Secretary for the state of Mato Grosso (Sema-MT) said in a statement. "If there is an environmental crime, those responsible will be charged and may be held accountable for an environmental crime."
The statement, published by Brazilian news site G1, noted that six officials — two from SEMA and four from the municipality of Tangará da Serra — were on-site investigating the incident. As of Tuesday, no charges have been filed against the couple.
