@v346djkfk5: A Seattle man was detained in Hawaii, accused of throwing a rock at a monk seal while it was swimming along the Lahaina shore..#maui #monkseal #lani #tourist #hawaii

Treykim :

Imaginator :

Lytvynchuk was released on bond following his initial court appearance in Seattle but has been ordered to surrender his passport and return to Honolulu to face federal prosecution. If convicted, he faces up to a year in prison for each charge and combined fines reaching up to $70,000.

wesleycarey963 :

He got the Hawaiian Punch

Imaginator :

A Washington man was arrested and charged after throwing a large, coconut-sized rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal. The incident occurred on May 5, 2026, on a beach in the Lahaina area of Maui and was captured in a viral video recorded by a local bystander. The Suspect: Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, a 38-year-old resident of Covington, Washington (located roughly 30 miles southeast of Seattle). The Target: A beloved, local Hawaiian monk seal named "Lani" who is well-known to the Lahaina community. The Incident: According to federal prosecutors, Lytvynchuk was filmed tracking the seal along the shoreline before picking up a large rock and hurling it directly at Lani's head. The rock narrowly missed her nose, but it deeply startled the animal, causing her to rear out of the water and remain frozen and motionless for a prolonged period. Arrest and Legal Action: Special agents with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tracked Lytvynchuk down and arrested him near Seattle on May 13, 2026. He was hit with federal charges for violating the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The Aftermath and Public Outrage The incident caused severe backlash both online and locally in Hawaii. According to the federal criminal complaint, when bystanders confronted the man on the beach and told him they were calling the police, Lytvynchuk arrogantly responded that he "did not care" and was "rich enough to pay the fines" before walking away. The situation escalated further when a second viral video surfaced showing an enraged local resident physically tackling and punching Lytvynchuk on the beach shortly after the rock-throwing incident. Hawaii State Senator Brenton Awa even handed out a ceremonial "letter of recognition" to the local man, jokingly calling him the "Ambassador of Aloha" for stepping in to defend the island's wildlife. Lytvynchuk was released on bond following his initial court appearance in Seattle but has been ordered to surrender his