Man who threw rock at endangered seal in Maui says he was ‘protecting turtles’
A Washington state man accused of throwing a rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal on Maui never meant to harm the animal and thought he was shielding nearby sea turtles, his attorney said.
A Good Samaritan?
Igor Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington state, faces federal misdemeanor charges after a May 5 video appeared to show him throwing a coconut-sized rock toward a male monk seal near Lahaina. His attorney, Myles Breiner, said his client saw two honu, or sea turtles, resting on the rocks and believed the seal was disturbing them, with one turtle already knocked into the water.
“He wanted to scare the seal away from the honu he saw there,” Breiner told KHON-TV. He added that his client understood that turtles are protected under Hawaii law but did not realize the same applies to monk seals, and prior encounters with aggressive sea lions while fishing in his home state shaped his reaction.
The charges and a disputed quote
Authorities said the rock landed near the seal, which then fled into the water. Federal prosecutors charged Lytvynchuk under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. He is expected to plead not guilty when he returns to Honolulu later this month.
Further complicating matters, Lytvynchuk allegedly told witnesses he was “rich enough to pay the fines.” Breiner disputed this claim, saying his client’s actual words were that he could afford it. Breiner said his client recognizes he made a mistake but did not act out of intent to injure the animal.
Why this matters
The Hawaiian monk seal is one of only two mammals endemic to the islands. It has a population of about 1,400 and is known to Native Hawaiians as ʻīlio-holo-i-ka-uaua or “dog that runs in rough water.” Research shows the species holds a significant place in Native Hawaiian culture, viewed by many as part of the islands’ natural family.
Lytvynchuk threw the rock to protect the turtles, his attorney says. Honu are a common sight on Hawaii’s beaches, their numbers rebuilt over decades of protection. The monk seal never made that kind of comeback, which is part of why a violent act against one strikes such a nerve in the islands.
Lytvynchuk is set to appear before a federal judge in Honolulu on May 27.
This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.
