A tourist accused of throwing a rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal on the island of Maui now says he believed he was protecting nearby sea turtles.
According to court filings and statements from his attorney, 38-year-old Igor Lytvynchuk of Washington did not intend to injure the animal during the incident, which was captured on video and quickly spread across social media.
The footage appeared to show Lytvynchuk throwing a coconut-sized rock toward a Hawaiian monk seal resting near the shoreline close to Lahaina. Witnesses said the endangered seal fled into the water moments later.
Federal authorities later charged him under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
His attorney claims the man believed the seal was harassing two nearby honu — the Hawaiian name for green sea turtles — and said he acted after allegedly seeing one turtle forced into the water.
“He wanted to scare the seal away from the honu he saw there,” defense attorney Myles Breiner told local media.
The case gained even more attention after witnesses alleged Lytvynchuk said he was “rich enough to pay the fines.” His lawyer disputes the wording, arguing his client simply stated he could afford the penalties and never intended the remark arrogantly.
The incident has triggered outrage across Hawaii because the Hawaiian monk seal is one of the rarest marine mammals in the world. Fewer than 1,500 are believed to remain alive, making every individual seal critically important to the species’ survival.
Known in Hawaiian culture as “ʻīlio-holo-i-ka-uaua,” meaning “dog that runs in rough water,” monk seals hold deep cultural and ecological significance throughout the islands.
Wildlife officials continue reminding visitors that both Hawaiian monk seals and sea turtles are federally protected species. Experts strongly advise tourists to never interfere with wildlife interactions and to maintain a safe distance from all marine animals.
Lytvynchuk is expected to appear before a federal judge in Honolulu later this month and is reportedly planning to plead not guilty.
Why Hawaiian Monk Seals Are So Protected
The Hawaiian monk seal is found nowhere else on Earth except the Hawaiian Islands and surrounding waters. Habitat loss, fishing entanglements, disease, and human disturbance pushed the species close to extinction over the past century.
Conservation programs have helped stabilize numbers in recent years, but scientists still classify the species as endangered and vulnerable to human activity.
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