Authorities in Hawaii are searching for two men accused of harassing an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, after one of them allegedly threw a rock at the animal on a well-known Oahu beach.
The reported encounter took place Sunday afternoon at Diamond Head Beach, where witnesses told officials they saw the two men walk up to a juvenile monk seal resting near the shoreline.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, known as DLNR, said it has opened an investigation and is urging anyone who can identify the men to come forward.
A couple nearby confronted the men shortly after the alleged incident and captured the tense exchange on video, Hawaii News Now reported.
“They walked straight up to the seal, and then one of them picked up a rock and threw it,” witness Ashley Schilling told the outlet. “That’s when we stepped in because we couldn’t just stand there and watch it happen.”
The footage has since spread widely on social media, showing the witnesses questioning the men about what happened before the pair left the area.
DLNR officials said the Hawaiian monk seal did not appear to have sustained serious injuries. Still, the agency strongly denounced the alleged harassment, emphasizing that the species is among the most endangered marine mammals in the world.
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Under the federal Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, it is illegal to harass, disturb or injure Hawaiian monk seals. Anyone found responsible could face significant civil fines as well as potential criminal penalties.
Officials have not released descriptions of the two men but said investigators are reviewing witness statements and video evidence as they work to identify them.
The incident comes just months after another alleged attack on a Hawaiian monk seal sparked outrage across the islands.
In May, a Seattle tourist was accused of throwing a large rock at an endangered monk seal named Lani while she rested along the shoreline in Lahaina, Maui.
Witnesses said the man picked up a rock “the size of a coconut” and threw it toward the seal’s head, prompting an investigation by state and federal authorities.
At the time, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen denounced the alleged attack, saying, “Let me be clear, this is not the kind of visitor we welcome on Maui.
“We welcome respectful visitors that understand that our cultural environment and wildlife must be treated with care and aloha. Behavior like this will not be tolerated.”
Anyone with information that could help identify the two men involved in Sunday’s incident is urged to contact the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement.
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