Federal agents arrest tourist who threw rock at endangered Hawaii seal

Federal agents arrested a Washington state tourist Thursday on charges he hurled a coconut-sized rock at a beloved endangered Hawaiian monk seal off the coast of Lahaina, Maui, an attack captured on bystander cellphone video that drew national outrage.

The case turns on the federal Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act — the same statutes that shield Pacific harbor seals and California sea lions along Southern California's coast, including Orange County beaches — and signals that wildlife agencies will pursue criminal charges even against visitors who believe money insulates them from consequences.

Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Wash., was apprehended near Seattle by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration special agents and charged under both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison; maximum fines reach $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Prosecutors described the incident in a criminal complaint filed in federal court. "In the cellphone video, the man can be seen holding a large rock with one hand, aiming, and throwing it directly at the monk seal," the complaint stated, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. The rock narrowly missed the head of the seal, known locally as Lani, causing the animal to abruptly change direction.

When bystanders confronted Lytvynchuk at the scene, he was unapologetic, saying "he did not care and was 'rich' enough to pay any fines," the complaint stated. Maui Mayor Richard Bissen personally contacted the U.S. attorney's office in Honolulu to press for prosecution, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

Bissen framed Lani's significance in the context of the community's ongoing recovery. "Lani's return after the wildfires brought a sense of healing and hope during a difficult time," Bissen said. Lahaina was largely destroyed by a deadly wildfire in 2023. "Lani is a reminder that humanity and the instinct to protect what is vulnerable are still values people can unite around," the mayor added.

Hawaiian monk seals are critically endangered, with only about 1,600 remaining in the wild. The same federal laws applied in this case also protect the Pacific harbor seals and California sea lions that regularly appear along Orange County's coastline, underscoring that harassing protected marine mammals anywhere in U.S. waters carries real criminal consequences.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. attorney's office in Honolulu. Lytvynchuk's first court appearance had not been scheduled as of ABC7 Los Angeles's report Thursday.