Hawaii Tourist Threw Rock at Endangered Seal: Everything We Know So Far

[marmar]

(Newsweek) A federal investigation is underway after a video appearing to show a man throwing a large rock toward an endangered Hawaiian monk seal off the coast of Maui sparked widespread outrage online and across Hawaii.

The incident happened last week near Front Street in Lahaina, where an unidentified man targeted a well-known seal named Lani.

Viral Video Sparks Backlash

The footage was recorded by Kaylee Schnitzer, who can be heard confronting the man during the encounter. It shows a man throwing a rock at the seal, which then lurches out of the water as the rock lands either on or close to the animal. Whether the seal was injured in the attack is unclear.

“What are you doing? Why would you throw a rock at it?” Schnitzer shouted in the video.

Schnitzer said the man took a rock and threw it at the seal's head. She also said the man said he didn't care and said "fine me, I'm rich." The man can later be seen walking away with an unidentified woman. Another clip also shows the man sitting on the beach with a law enforcement officer standing next to him. ....................(more)

https://www.newsweek.com/hawaii-tourist-threw-rock-endangered-seal-everything-we-know-11935789

[Maru Kitteh]

1. In Montana, the tourists get eaten by bears, gored by buffalo when

they get out of line. Perhaps our brothers and sisters in Hawaii would like to borrow a few for just a little bit?

[Deuxcents]

2. Or just throw him in with Lani and friends and them get acquainted to their justice

[whathehell]

7. If I'm not mistaken, the incidents you

mention are usually the result of those tourists who try to get too "friendly" with the wildlife. In other words, they may be foolish, but generally well intended. This creep actually attempted to hurt the animal. I hope they put his nasty, arrogant ass in jail.

[Maru Kitteh]

10. No. It happens because they decide rules and warnings are for other people.

Arrogance. Lack of respect. Same as this man. So really? Fuck their pleadings about their “intentions.” The animals will teach them.

[Aristus]

13. I agree.

Lot of stupid entitled people out there. Getting mauled by an animal is too good for them.

[whathehell]

20. Of course..

because the rest of us have never acted "stupid" or "entitled" have we?

[slightlv]

25. I'm not perfect.. pretty stupid at a party!

But i have never tried to hurt an animal or purposely hurt a human. There is a huge difference.

[whathehell]

28. Neither have I, but

when I tried to draw a distinction between foolish, but well intentioned people (like those who try to get too close and/or 'friendly' with the animals) and those who actively try to hurt them like the creep in Hawaii who attacked a seal, I was told I was wrong, that there was essentially no difference and that "being mauled by wild animals was too good for them"

[artemisia1]

69. I agree with you and the point is well taken. Consequences for both, but the morality issue is different. /nt

[whathehell]

71. Thanks so much Artemisia1

I was starting to feel as if I were speaking a foreign language.

[Aristus]

39. Well, not like that, no.

Why would I pelt a rock at a seal? What would that prove, other than that I would be an unconscionable dickhead if I did?

Why would I try to pet or get a selfie with a bison, or a bear, or any kind of wild animal?

Not all of us are empty-headed wastes of defective human protoplasm...

[whathehell]

43. Okay, as I said in my first post,

I'm not including the creep who threw a rock at the seal..That's less "stupid" in my view than CRUEL, and I despise animal cruelty and those who perpetrate it..Having said that, I don't know that even they
deserve an automatic death penalty.
As to the "stupid" meme, okay, maybe you, along with myself and most others, are not that kind of stupid, but most, if not all of us have been SOME kind of stupid, including the kind engaged in life threatening risks. Ever read "The Darwin Awards"?
What I don't get is the enormous anger being leveled here at people who've most likely already paid a steep price for their stupidity. Anger at cruelty? Absolutely..Anger at "stupidity"?..Not nearly so much.

[Maru Kitteh]

47. Why are you so motivated to defend entitled persons who

believe that rules and warnings are meant for others and should not apply to them? I mean, you are showing here that you are really, REALLY invested in this. Deeply. It’s pretty striking. So why is that.

[Aristus]

56. So much of the stupidity out there is willful. People take pride in their blockheaded douchebaggery,

and think that people who use logic, and reason, and judgement, and humanity are somehow the problem.

Ignorance I can understand; and it can be cured. Stupidity is just evil without a definite plan.

[quinteroon]

41. Stupid, entitled people should die?

Interesting...

[Maru Kitteh]

49. Very often stupid, entitled people choose to play stupid games. Who am I

to argue with their choices when they receive the prizes they deserve?

[quinteroon]

57. That's a different story.

People who taunt animals deserve to find out whatever they fucked around about. If someone just wants to interact with an animal (see it up close) or film it, I have more sympathy. I didn't understand this story. The man threw a rock randomly or did he get startled by the seal and tried to keep it away from himself? 🦭 🪨

[MustLoveBeagles]

58. It was deliberate

[whathehell]

17. That may enter into it

but when judging the 'perpetrators', surely there's a difference between foolish, but well meaning people and those deliberately seeking to hurt, especially when considering the steep price both often pay.

[niyad]

35. Out of curiosity, exactly what is "foolish", or "well-meaning" about DELIBERATELY

and PURPOSEFULLY IGNORING all the warning signs. In some cases, those animals are killed because they "attacked" a person.

I interact with all sorts of wildlife, and even supposedly "aggressive" domesticated beings, but ALWAYS on their terms. I think that word has gone out about the silly human sucker in their area.

[irisblue]

30. Intent does not & will not stop impact.

[Skittles]

59. agreed

I tend to follow the rules because overwhelmingly there seems to be very good reasons for having such rules.

[malaise]

64. True but while they stupidly break rules and get hurt

Last edited Tue May 12, 2026, 06:47 PM - Edit history (1)

They don’t set out to hurt other animals. They are just dumb ass morons.

[sdfernando]

27. I hear Pele needs a new sacrifice

to stop the eruption.

[spooky3]

3. Find that guy and throw his ass in prison. Nt

[Swede]

4. The idiot's name is Igor Lytvynchuk.

A tourist identified by multiple local reports as Igor Lytvynchuk, owner of a Washington shipping company, was arrested after throwing a rock at Lani, a beloved Hawaiian monk seal in Maui

https://www.instagram.com/p/DYCqyTDzpkm/

[maxsolomon]

55. Of Covington, Washington

He is NOT a "Seattle Man". More like a Seattle Exurbs Man.

[MustLoveBeagles]

5. What an entitled asshole

[PatSeg]

23. It is amazing what people think they can get away with

because they are "rich", like money means the rules don't apply to them. Unfortunately, it is often true though.

[Prairie_Seagull]

6. This, this was showing off for a woman?

Don't walk...run away.

[marmar]

15. Must have been Kristi Noem

[flvegan]

8. Allegedly got his ass beaten for it too: warning, violence

https://www.reddit.com/r/ImTheMainCharacter/comments/1ta612j/mc_ukrainian_millionaire_igor_lytvynchuk_gets/

Also allegedly, the local with the fists Rated E for Everyone is being treated as a hero.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

14. I saw that also

That made me smile

[flvegan]

16. The "Ambassador of Aloha"

if I'm reading the story properly.

That made me laugh. Also watching the internet do proper internet things to his business is interesting. We'll see how this all turns out for this guy.

[Dave Bowman]

18. Aw, poor guy. 😢

[Botany]

33. That was a real ass beating from a real tough man. Left and right combo attack.

I hope he cracked his ribs.

[DFW]

9. If the jails on Maui are too cozy

Cover him in fish blood and toss him in the ocean where great whites have been spotted.

“I’m rich. Fine me.” OK, feeding him to the sharks sounds “fine” to me.

His name sounds very Ukrainian by the way. He does well to hang out about as far from Ukrainian territory as he possibly can and still be in the Northern Hemisphere.

[GCG]

29. Guess what

Hawaii is home to approximately 40 species of sharks, ranging from small deep water species to large apex predators like tiger sharks.

No Great Whites in the area...several Tiger sharks will do just fine, though...

[Bettie]

11. WHY would you do that?

Why would you throw a rock at any animal?

What is wrong with people....that's rhetorical, because far too many of them are just awful!

[Dave Bowman]

19. Sadistic morons like him get pleasure from hurting living creatures. Disgusting.

[Melon]

12. He deserves to be in jail

Where mire beatings await. That would have been a horrible death for that seal, and he didn’t care because he is rich.

[Silver Gaia]

44. Did she live? Do we know?

In the Newsweek video she was shown floating and not moving afterward. I am worried about her.

[Silver Gaia]

45. I found this that says she is OK, but nothing more...

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2607532/is-lani-the-endangered-monk-seal-okay-viral-hawaii-attack-investigation-continues

[MustLoveBeagles]

50. Thanks for posting this

I'm glad she's okay.

[Silver Gaia]

52. You are most welcome!

[Silver Gaia]

68. See my post #67 below

[MustLoveBeagles]

46. So am I

[Jacson6]

21. If they catch him the judge his going to give him a lesson in manners. n/t

[Joinfortmill]

22. Guy's a dick.

[Fil1957]

24. If there's enough rich people with his mentality, we're cooked...

[COL Mustard]

26. Assholes are everywhere.

I hate people sometimes.

Dollars to donuts he's a Trumper. And I like donuts.

[Buddyzbuddy]

31. A grown adult doing this, I would check his basement,

his storage facilities, closets, backyard.
Intent on causing harm without remorse.
He's damaged.

[niyad]

61. A most excellent point.

[StarryNite]

32. Throw that sick piece of shit in prison.

I hope the seal is okay but somebody said it wasn't moving.

[niyad]

36. I did see a report that Lani is okay. I hope that is correct.

[StarryNite]

51. Thank you.i hope it's true.

[Figarosmom]

34. Why?

[niyad]

37. May igor l receive everything he deserves.

[Kid Berwyn]

38. "Fine me. I'm rich."

Fine him for all he's got. Then he won't be.

[electric_blue68]

40. Heh!

[GoCubsGo]

42. He sounds like a guy who needs to have rocks thrown at HIS head.

Give him a taste of his own medicine.

[MustLoveBeagles]

54. He did get an ass kicking

I don't like violence normally but he deserved it.

[electric_blue68]

48. That's so nasty! Glad he was arrested!

You just don't do sh!t like that!
Unfortunately, there are nasty, and cruel people in this world!


The year before covid there was a young ? harbor seal that spent the summer up in Inwood Park's east to west Sputen Dyvil waters (between The Harlem, and Hudson River).

As far I heard no one did anything to it. I have people in the area, but I came up extra to watch it as others did. It was delighful!

[3_Limes]

53. Totally unrelated to this, of course, but -

If you do any business with ILLogistics of Kent Washington, you may want to review your vendor choices in that area

[niyad]

62. Totally unrelated! I have several friends in the shipping industry.

Time for a few emails/texts.

[Blue Owl]

60. We'll call him Kid Rock

[WarGamer]

63. Ukrainian millionaire... maybe send him home to fight vs Russia?

[niyad]

65. People keep saying he is Ukrainian, but he seems to be a WA state

resident, citizen, and business owner.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

66. Offically charged..in custody

https://www.boredpanda.com/hawaii-tourist-throws-rock-beloved-seal-lani-officially-charged/

He was arrested near his hometown of Seattle and is currently being held in federal custody.

[Silver Gaia]

67. Another article, this one from People

Man Charged After Throwing Rock at Endangered Seal, Witnesses Claim He Said: 'I'm Rich, Fine Me with Whatever You Want'

https://people.com/man-charged-throwing-rock-at-endangered-seal-hawaii-11974589

...
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Lytvynchuk was arrested by Special Agents of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday, May 13.

He's currently in custody and is set to appear in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington (Seattle courthouse) on May 14 at 9 a.m. PT.

Lytvynchuk could face up to one year in prison for each charge, as well as a term of supervised release if found guilty.

Under the Endangered Species Act, he could be fined up to $50,000. Lytvynchuk could also be fined up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, per the release.
...

They also said the rock barely missed her nose and startled her so badly that she just laid there on the beach immobile for a long time, but finally came around, and seems fine now.

She should not have had to go through that because of this ignorant human. I hope they lock him up and fine the hell out of the arrogant fucker!

[MustLoveBeagles]

70. Thanks for the update

She should not have had to go through that.