38-year-old Washington resident Igor Lytvynchuk became the subject of online outrage after a video recorded at Maui’s Lahaina Beach on May 5 showed him throwing a coconut-sized rock at a monk seal.
Upon being confronted by a local, the man refused to show remorse and instead flaunted his wealth, saying he could afford to “pay any fine.”
Highlights
- The lawyer for the tourist accused of throwing a rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal claims the act was intended to protect a different sea creature.
- He also said the fallout from the incident went beyond social media ridicule, alleging that his client endured a physical attack in its wake.
- The Maui mayor has vowed strict action, calling the seal “part of our ocean ohana” after the beach incident went viral.
His lawyer, Myles Breiner, has now provided an unusual justification for the action, alongside claims that his client has been subjected to both psychological and physical attacks since the incident.
Lytvynchuk is due in court for the case later today (Wednesday, May 27).
The lawyer for the tourist accused of hurling a rock at a seal has outlined fallout of the incident after defending his client with unusual justification
Image credits: U.S. District Court
The United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) identified the seal as an adult male known as R404.
Lahaina locals, who claim the mammal has been a fixture on their shores for more than 20 years, affectionately call him Lani.
Hawaiian monk seals are a critically endangered species, with only about 1,600 remaining in the wild. That fact has made the matter worse for Lytvynchuk.
Image credits: Matt Bango
With only hours to go before his client appears in court, Breiner told The Associated Press that his client never intended to harm the seal but threw rocks at it to shoo it away from sea turtles in an effort to protect them.
The lawyer also claimed Lytvynchuk, a fisherman, mistook the seal for a sea lion, a creature he has found to be excessively aggressive.
Image credits: Kaylee Schnitzer
Since the video surfaced, Lytvynchuk, per his lawyer, has faced threats to life, doxing, and an incident in which he was “brutally a**aulted” by a man, though he refused to file a police report.
The latter claim was captured on camera in a viral video from earlier this month, which showed a local approaching Lytvynchuk from behind, tackling him to the ground, and landing several punches to his head and upper body.
Image credits: Gatewayxchange_
Breiner said his client is being treated unfairly because he is a white outsider.
“The vast majority of attacks on monk seals and turtles are by locals,” he said.
Image credits: uheheu
Lytvynchuk was arrested by federal NOAA agents on May 13 but was granted standard pretrial release.
He is charged with violations of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
He faces up to one year in prison for each charge, along with fines of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen has vowed to use his resources to ensure Lytvynchuk is punished
Image credits: KING 5/Lois Silver
Bissen issued a video statement condemning the incident on May 8.
“Like many in our community, I was shocked by what happened. Lani is not just a seal to us; she is part of our ocean ohana in Lahaina,” he said, using the Hawaiian term for family and adding that the community has watched over the seal for years.
Lani became a symbol of the island’s recovery following the 2023 Lahaina wildfire when she returned to the same Front Street stretch of coastline where she was attacked.
Image credits: Kaylee Schnitzer
“Our connection to the ocean, the land, and the creatures that call Hawaii home is part of who we are. Let me be clear: this is not the kind of visitor we welcome on Maui,” Bissen said in his statement.
“Behavior like this will not be tolerated. I assure you that I will see to it personally that this individual is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“Whether at the county, state, or federal level, there must be serious consequences for anybody who harms or threatens protected wildlife.”
People in Hawaii are required to stay no less than 50 feet away from any monk seal and 150 feet away from mothers with their pups.
Once hunted to near extinction, Hawaiian monk seals now face threats from pollution, fishing gear, and climate change
Image credits: TariffyTrumpery
Image credits: Facebook
Monk seals were known as “ʻĪlio holo i ka uaua,” meaning “dog that runs in rough waters,” among ancient Hawaiians.
These mammals search for food far beyond the shoreline, diving anywhere between 60 and 300 feet deep in pursuit of fish, octopus, and other marine life.
Image credits: Facebook
They were pursued to the brink of extinction during the 19th century, primarily for their oil, skin, and meat.
Today, they continue to face numerous human-driven threats, including coastal development, pollution, and rising sea levels linked to climate change, all of which significantly affect their natural habitat.
They also face the risk of becoming entangled in fishing gear, including hooks and commercial nets, while diseases such as toxoplasmosis — caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which can wash into the ocean through cat litter and contaminated runoff — pose an additional danger to the species.
Hawaii U.S. Senator Brian Schatz has emphasized the need for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to do more to protect the endangered seals.
"Now he is the victim. Give me a break," a netizen said about Lytvynchuk
