Special agents with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have arrested a tourist from Washington state after a witness recorded video of him hurling a coconut-sized rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal off a Maui beach last week. Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, was taken into custody in the Seattle area on Wednesday, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Honolulu. He faces charges of harassing and attempting to harass a protected animal and was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Thursday.
Incident Details
The incident occurred in Lahaina, a community devastated by a deadly wildfire in 2023. A state Department of Land and Natural Resources officer investigated a report of monk seal harassment and was shown cellphone video by a witness. The footage depicted the seal swimming in shallow water while a man watched from shore. Prosecutors stated in a criminal complaint that the man was seen holding a large rock, aiming, and throwing it directly at the monk seal. The rock, described as the size of a coconut, narrowly missed the seal's head but caused the animal to abruptly alter its behavior.
Witness Account
When a witness confronted Lytvynchuk, he allegedly said he did not care and was rich enough to pay any fines. The video drew widespread condemnation and demands for prosecution in Hawaii, including from Maui Mayor Richard Bissen. Bissen identified the seal as Lani, a known and beloved character along Lahaina's waterfront whose return after the wildfires brought healing and hope. However, the state natural resources department later indicated it likely was not Lani, as it lacked certain markings.
Legal Consequences
Lytvynchuk is charged with violations of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Hawaiian monk seals are critically endangered, with only about 1,600 remaining in the wild. If convicted, he faces up to one year in prison for each charge, 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. Mayor Bissen said he called the U.S. attorney in Honolulu to advocate for prosecution, emphasizing that humanity and the instinct to protect the vulnerable are values people can unite around.
