Federal agents arrested a tourist accused of throwing a large rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal off a Maui beach, authorities said. Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, was taken into custody Wednesday by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration special agents, the U.S. attorney’s office in Honolulu said. He is charged with harassing a protected animal and was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Thursday, court records show.
The arrest follows an investigation by a state Department of Land and Natural Resources officer after a witness provided video showing a seal swimming in shallow water near Lahaina while a man stood on shore. In the cellphone video cited in a criminal complaint, the man can be seen holding a large rock with one hand, aiming, and throwing it directly at the monk seal. The rock narrowly missed the seal’s head but caused the animal to “abruptly alter its behavior,” the complaint said.
When a witness confronted the man, the complaint states he responded that he did not care and was “rich” enough to pay any fines. A Maui resident, 18-year-old Kaylee Schnitzer, told local media she saw the incident while photographing nearby and described the rock as “like a rock the size of a coconut.”
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said the charges send a clear message that cruelty toward protected wildlife will not be tolerated. In a statement, he noted the return of the seal known as Lani after the 2023 wildfires brought a sense of healing to the community and said he had contacted the U.S. attorney in Honolulu to advocate for prosecution.
U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson emphasized the importance of protecting Hawaii’s vulnerable wildlife, calling the islands’ unique species “renowned symbols of Hawaii’s special place in the world and its incredible biodiversity,” according to a statement included with the criminal complaint.
Hawaiian monk seals are listed as endangered and are critically imperiled; officials said about 1,600 remain in the wild. Under the Endangered Species Act, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of up to one year in prison for each charge and a fine of up to $50,000. Additional penalties under the Marine Mammal Protection Act could include fines of up to $20,000.
The court docket did not list an attorney for Lytvynchuk, and a person who answered a telephone number associated with him declined to comment, court records and officials said. The Department of Land and Natural Resources officer who reviewed the video handled the initial investigation in Lahaina, the community heavily damaged in the 2023 wildfire.
The criminal complaint cites the video evidence and witness statements as the basis for the harassment charge. Prosecutors and wildlife officials say the case underscores ongoing concerns about human interactions with protected marine mammals; in 2016, a man was seen on video appearing to strike a pregnant Hawaiian monk seal in shallow water, officials noted as context.
Lytvynchuk’s arrest in the Seattle area was carried out by NOAA special agents on behalf of prosecutors in Honolulu. He is due to appear in federal court in Seattle as the case proceeds.
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