Boaters from the U.S. are crossing into Canada under the false pretense of travelling to Alaska.

On Tuesday July 21, B.C. RCMP released a statement revealing that two U.S. boaters had been fined after crossing into Canadian waters on July 10.

“It was clear the persons on this vessel had misstated their intention to travel to Alaska and had entered Canada for the purposes of tourism,” RCMP said.

Non-essential travel across the U.S.–Canada border has been banned since mid-March, with the current closure set to expire on Aug. 21.

Some American boaters have been exploiting the "Alaska Loophole," which sees them crossing the border by claiming that they're sailing to Alaska for essential reasons, but staying in Canada instead.

Meanwhile, a whale watching vessel that crossed the border on Friday July 17 was also escorted back to U.S. waters.

The B.C. RCMP adds: "Boaters found illegally within Canadian waters may face severe penalties, including fines, seizure of their vessels and/or criminal charges. Upon being served with a fine, the offending boaters will be excluded from Canadian waters and may face other restrictions from CBSA, such as future access to Canadian waters."

Both vessel operators received a $1,000 fine after the Canadian Border Services Agency confirmed they had violated the Quarantine Act.