Man arrested after video shows rock hurled at endangered Hawaiian monk seal
· Toronto Sun
A man who was allegedly captured on video throwing a rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal in Hawaii last week has been arrested in Washington state.
Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Wash., was charged Tuesday with “harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal by throwing a large rock at the seal’s head, in violation of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii said in a press release .
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Lytvynchuk was arrested near Seattle on Wednesday by special agents with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
According to the criminal complaint, Lytvynchuk was allegedly seen and captured on cellphone video walking along the shoreline in the Lahaina area of Maui last Tuesday, “tracking the movements of a Hawaiian monk seal, known as ‘Lani,’ as she playfully pushed a floating log close to the shoreline,” prosecutors said.
Lytvynchuk then allegedly picked up a large rock, took aim, and threw the rock directly at Lani’s head, prosecutors said.
“The rock narrowly missed her nose, startling her, and causing her to rear up out of the water,” the complaint alleged.
When witnesses confronted Lytvynchuk, he told them he was “rich enough to pay the fines,” before walking away, the complaint alleges.
A video showing a man throwing a rock toward a Hawaiian monk seal off Maui is drawing outrage online and renewed calls for people to keep their distance from the endangered animals.
— Hawaii News Now (@HawaiiNewsNow) May 7, 2026
The incident happened Tuesday morning along Front Street in Lahaina, where witnesses said a… pic.twitter.com/vdFweOWKD9
Video draws widespread condemnation
The video was shared on social media , sparking outrage from residents across Hawaii.
“A lot of tourists think this is their vacation time and they just want to come here and have fun and let loose,” Oahu resident Nelson Chauncey told Hawaii News Now . “They don’t really realize this is our home, and these are the protocols we live by every single day.”
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen responded to the video, stating, “Let me be clear, this is not the kind of visitor we welcome on Maui. We welcome respectful visitors that understand that our cultural environment and wildlife must be treated with care and aloha,” Hawaii News Now reported.
“Behaviour like this will not be tolerated,” he added.
If convicted, Lytvynchuk, faces up to one year in prison for each charge.
He also faces a fine of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and a fine of up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered seal species in the world with an estimated population of 1,600 in the wild, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .