Tourist accused of throwing rock at endangered monk seal says backlash has gone too far
The fallout from a viral encounter on a Maui beach continues to grow weeks after a tourist was filmed throwing a large rock toward an endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
Federal authorities have charged Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, with violating the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act after prosecutors said he threw a coconut sized rock at a protected seal swimming near shore. The rock allegedly missed the animal’s head by a narrow margin.
The video spread rapidly online and triggered a wave of anger across Hawaii and beyond.
For many residents, the reaction was personal.
Local officials and community members described the seal as a familiar presence in Lahaina, a town still recovering from the devastating wildfires that swept through the area in 2023. Maui Mayor Richard Bissen publicly condemned the incident, calling the animal part of the community’s ocean family.
Lytvynchuk has denied intending to harm the seal.
His attorney, Myles Breiner, said his client believed he was helping nearby sea turtles when he threw the rock. According to Breiner, Lytvynchuk mistook the monk seal for a sea lion and reacted based on experiences with aggressive marine animals while fishing in Washington state.
“He thought he was doing something good by getting the seal away from the turtles,” Breiner told reporters.
The explanation has done little to calm public anger.
Breiner says his client has received death threats, been doxxed, physically assaulted, and recently received a package containing what appeared to be feces. Multiple news organizations have reported those claims, though authorities have not publicly identified who sent the package.
Lytvynchuk appeared in federal court in Honolulu and pleaded not guilty. A judge allowed him to remain free while the case moves forward but ordered him to stay away from Hawaii beaches and marine wildlife while he is in the state.
If convicted, he could face up to one year in prison for each charge along with substantial fines under federal wildlife protection laws.
One detail in the case remains disputed.
Some reports and local residents have identified the seal as “Lani,” a monk seal that became widely recognized in the community. Federal court documents and NOAA statements, however, identify the animal as an adult male monk seal known as R404.
Hawaiian monk seals are among the world’s most endangered marine mammals, with only about 1,600 remaining in the wild. The species is found only in the Hawaiian Islands and is protected under federal law.
As the criminal case proceeds, the debate surrounding the incident has expanded beyond wildlife protection. It now includes questions about public outrage, online vigilantism, and where the line falls between accountability and harassment.
