On May 5, 2026, a 37-year-old man from Seattle, Washington, was filmed by Maui local Kaylee Schnitzer, throwing a rock at an endangered monk seal called Lani.
The incident took place at the Shark Pit Beach on the shoreline off Front Street in Lahaina, Hawaii, and was noticed by several other beachgoers, one of whom reportedly “taught him a lesson.”
Highlights
- A Seattle man was caught on camera throwing a big rock at an endangered monk seal in Maui, Hawaii.
- The man was beaten up by a local citizen who witnessed his actions, and netizens online supported the beatdown, saying he “deserved it.”
- He was later detained to be investigated, and faces jail time and more than $30,000 in fine if found guilty.
Local authorities later detained the man. He is currently under investigation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement (NOAA-OLE).
“Every day I think some human can’t outdo the day before, and I’m always wrong,” one user said.
The tourist was beaten up by a local after throwing a rock at an endangered seal
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In Schnitzer’s video, the man, wearing black shorts and a white t-shirt, is seen picking up a rock from the beach and aiming it straight at a monk seal that was swimming near the shore. The rock landed near the animal’s head, and it was heard squealing.
Schnitzer confronted the man from afar, asking him why he was throwing rocks. He did not heed her at first, but later says something inaudible in the video.
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In a follow-up video, Schnitzer revealed that he had yelled, “I don’t care, I’m rich. Fine me with whatever you want. I can pay for it.” She also described the rock he threw to be “the size of a coconut,” and that the man said, “where he’s from, it’s a normal thing for him.”
“It was no small rock, it was the size of a coconut, and he threw it right directly aiming towards the monk seal's head,” the eyewitness said.
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More videos surfaced online shortly afterward of the man getting beaten up by an individual — allegedly a local citizen, who is seen landing two punches on his head. The short clip does not reveal if the accused fought back.
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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered seal species in the world. They are endemic to the Hawaiian archipelago—occurring nowhere else in the world. They can live for over 30 years in habitable conditions.
Hawaii’s mayor castigated the man for his “unacceptable behavior” after his detention
According to a May 6 news release from Governor Josh Green, M.D., an officer from Maui’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) responded to the scene after receiving complaints and detained the man shown in the video.
He declined to make a statement and invoked his attorney rights, after which he was questioned and released. The case was handed over to NOAA-OLE, as required by federal law, and is currently under investigation.
The authorities are yet to criminally charge the individual or disclose his identity. However, social media sleuths have claimed that he is Igor Lytvynchuk, the owner of an interstate freight carrier called Transridge Inc.
Richard Bissen, a former prosecuting attorney and retired jurist who has served as the mayor of Maui County since 2023, strongly condemned the suspect in a video statement, labeling it as a “disturbing incident.”
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“Like many in our community, I was shocked by what happened,” he said. “Lani is not just a seal to us. She’s part of our ocean ‘ohana (family) in Lahaina. “Many of our residents know her, watch over her, and care deeply about her well-being.”
“I want to mahalo (thank) everyone who stepped in, protected her, and reported this unacceptable behavior,” he continued, adding that he will personally see to it “that this individual is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The man could face prison time and more than $30,000 in fines if convicted
According to NOAA, anyone found guilty of violating the two federal acts that protect the monk seals — the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act — could face civil penalties up to $36,498, a year in prison, and forfeiture if a vehicle is involved, with an additional $25,000 fine.
The public opinion against the accused is already harsh, with netizens slamming him online and celebrating the individual who beat him up.
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“Hawaii has street justice, and I’m here for it,” one person wrote. Another said, “We need to start making such examples of these animal ab*sers and get tougher laws.
According to Beat of Hawaii, the lives of 16 monk seals have been intentionally taken since 2009, and many more have been harassed, with only one case ending in conviction, with a sentence of 90 days in prison and a $25 fine.
The news release from the Governor’s office claimed that several reports of members of the public breaching the temporary fence at Kaimana Beach in O’ahu have surfaced recently.
The breaches allegedly violated the resting area of a 15-year-old monk seal called Kaiwi and her newborn pup.
"Karma is beautiful." Netizens cheered as the man who attacked the monk seal got beaten up by a Maui local
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