A tourist faced widespread outrage in Hawaii after being caught on video throwing a large rock at “Lani,” an endangered and cherished Hawaiian monk seal on a Maui beach. Federal agents arrested the individual on Wednesday.
Authorities identified the man as Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, from Covington, Washington. He faces charges for disturbing a protected species, according to a statement from the US attorney’s office in Honolulu. Special agents from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration apprehended him near Seattle.
Lytvynchuk was set to appear in a US District Court in Seattle on Thursday.
The court records did not mention any legal representation for him, and when contacted, someone at a number linked to Lytvynchuk refused to comment.
The incident drew attention when a state Department of Land and Natural Resources officer responded to reports of monk seal harassment in Lahaina, a town heavily impacted by a devastating wildfire in 2023.
A witness provided video evidence showing the seal in shallow waters while a man observed from the shore.
“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,” prosecutors said a criminal complaint.
The rock, described by a witness as the size of a coconut, narrowly missed the seal’s head, but caused the “animal to abruptly alter its behavior,” the complaint said.
When a witness confronted the man, he said “he did not care and was ‘rich’ enough to pay any fines,” the complaint said.
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said the charges send a clear message that cruelty toward protected wildlife won’t be tolerated.
Lani’s return after the wildfires brought a sense of healing and hope during a difficult time, he said.
“Lani is a reminder that humanity and the instinct to protect what is vulnerable are still values people can unite around,” Bissen said in an emailed statement.
The mayor said he called the US attorney in Honolulu to advocate for prosecution.
Lytvynchuk is charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
Hawaiian monk seals are a critically endangered species. Only 1,600 remain in the wild.
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.
