On 4 November 2015, a photo of Ismail Sabri having dinner at a seafood restaurant in Sandakan with Beluran Umno chief Datuk James Ratib went viral.[53] A plate of a dozen sea turtle eggs on the dinner table was seen in the photo. On 19 November 2015, other photos surfaced and went viral on Facebook showing fragments of turtle eggshells on the table in front of some of the diners.[54] Turtle eggs are one of the protected species under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997. Ismail denied consuming the turtle eggs, citing health reasons.[53][55]