Family fined after dyeing waterfall blue for gender reveal

A family member received a hefty fine after they dyed an entire waterfall blue for a relative's big gender party reveal.

Gender reveal parties are usually held to allow the parents to finally share their unborn baby's sex along with their family and friends. Sometimes, they're even done to surprise the expectant parents themselves.

However, with everybody fighting for 'likes' on social media, these gender reveal parties are relying more and more on elaborate stunts in order to stand out and be seen as unique.

Last October, a couple from Brazil staged an extravagant yet dangerous way of finding out the gender of their baby at the 59-foot waterfall known as Cachoeira Queima-Pé.

In a viral video shared on social media, the couple's cheering guests could be seen embracing each other as dark blue-dyed water flows down from the waterfall behind them, and blue powder cannons are set off.

Watch the video below:

While the gathering is meant to be a joyous moment for the family involved, many angry social media users pointed out how dangerous and irresponsible dying a waterfall is for the environment.

One person said: It is already ridiculous the amount of pesticides that are being thrown in the waterfalls and now they want to create more environmental impact. Ridiculous!!!!"

Another commented: "I hope all those involved are heavily fined/jailed. First forest fires, now polluting a waterfall that's also a city's drinking source??"

A third person on Reddit wrote: "Not the water though. How thick does your skull have to be to not be able to put together that dying the natural water recourse might not be the best for the environment and its eco-system?"

And, a fourth user added: "Let's not only pollute a natural, beautiful waterfall and all the water flowing down it into the lake/river, but let's also set off smoke bombs. All of this is in some actual nature. Plant life and wildlife all around. Oh, throw in a bunch of balloons too that we probably won't clean up and just leave here."

That same month, Mato Grosso's Environment Protection Agency (SEMA) told PEOPLE in a statement that the act of harming a waterfall in Brazil is considered an "environmental infraction."

They added that it is strictly prohibited for people "to throw solid, liquid or gaseous waste or debris, oils or oily substances in disagreement with the requirements established in laws or normative acts."

In addition to this, the agency conducted a thorough investigation into the environmental crime and discovered that there had been "no change in the water's physical parameters, such as color and other, and no trace of local fish mortality," according to The Washington Post.

However, as Cachoeira Queima-Pé feeds into a river that serves as a water source for Tangará da Serra, a relative of the couple was held accountable and fined 10,000 (about $1,933) Brazilian reals. It was discovered that they used a substance called "Blue Lake" - which is used for dyeing bodies of water and swimming pools - for the gender reveal party.

Furthermore, the couple disclosed to SEMA that they were not aware that a family member planned to use a chemical product in the waterfall.

This comes after it was reported that a pilot in Mexico has lost his life after also taking part in an extreme gender reveal stunt that went horribly wrong.

Featured image credit: Jeneil S / Getty