A man accused of throwing a large rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal that had become a symbol of resilience for Maui residents after the island’s devastating wildfires has been arrested by federal authorities.
Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, from Covington, Washington, was taken into custody near Seattle on Wednesday and charged with harassing a protected marine animal, according to the US attorney’s office in Honolulu. He was expected to make his first appearance in a Seattle federal court on Thursday.
The case stems from an incident reported last week on Maui, where officials from Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources were investigating allegations that a monk seal had been targeted near Lahaina, the town ravaged by catastrophic wildfires in 2023.
During the inquiry, a witness handed over cellphone footage showing the seal, known locally as “Lani”, swimming close to shore while a man stood nearby.
“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 in a criminal complaint. Witnesses described the rock as roughly the size of a coconut. Although it missed the seal’s head, investigators said it startled the animal and caused it to suddenly change its behaviour.
According to the complaint, when confronted by a bystander, the man allegedly brushed off concerns and said “he did not care and was ‘rich’ enough to pay any fines.”
The incident triggered outrage across Hawaii, where Hawaiian monk seals are considered both culturally significant and critically endangered. Fewer than 1,600 are believed to remain in the wild.
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said the prosecution should serve as a warning that abuse of protected wildlife will not be overlooked. He noted that Lani’s reappearance after the Lahaina fires had offered comfort to many residents still recovering from the disaster.
“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 also revealed that he personally contacted the US attorney in Honolulu to push for the case to be pursued.
Lytvynchuk has been charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal. If convicted, he could face up to one year behind bars on each count, along with fines reaching $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and an additional $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
