Washington tourist pleads not guilty in Hawaiian monk seal rock case

A 38-year-old Washington state tourist pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal charges that he threw a rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal on a Maui beach, and a judge barred him from setting foot on any Hawaii beach.

The case highlights the precarious survival of Hawaiian monk seals, with only about 1,600 remaining in the wild. Federal law imposes penalties of up to one year in prison and $50,000 in fines per charge for harassing the protected species.

Igor Lytvynchuk, of Covington, Wash., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom Trader in Honolulu and entered a not guilty plea. Judge Trader ordered Lytvynchuk to remain within Washington state and surrender his U.S. passport to authorities. "You're not going to the beach, you understand that," Trader told him during the hearing, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

The incident occurred in early May at a beach near Lahaina, Maui. A witness recorded video of Lytvynchuk throwing a coconut-sized rock at the seal, identified as adult male R404, as it swam in shallow water. The rock narrowly missed the seal's head, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. When confronted by a witness at the scene, Lytvynchuk said he did not care and was "rich" enough to pay any fines, according to the federal complaint.

His attorney, Myles Breiner, offered a different account of events. Breiner said his client mistakenly believed the seal was an aggressive sea lion and was acting to protect nearby sea turtles. "So his response was not to hurt this monk seal, but to get it away from the turtles," Breiner said. The attorney also argued that "the vast majority of attacks on monk seal and turtle are by locals," suggesting the prosecution treated his client unfairly.

Lytvynchuk faces up to one year in prison per count, a maximum fine of $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. He is charged with harassing and attempting to harass a protected animal under federal law.

After video of the incident spread widely online, Lytvynchuk received death threats and was doxed, and received a package containing what appeared to be feces. He made arrangements to surrender to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration agents near Seattle before a formal arrest warrant was issued, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

A scheduling hearing is set for June 9, 2026; Lytvynchuk may participate by phone or video from Washington state as the case moves forward in federal court. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, a Hawaii Democrat, was among those who drew attention to the case, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.