Hawaii
Tourist accused of hurling rock at endangered Hawaii monk seal’s head is arrested by federal agents
A tourist who drew widespread condemnation in Hawaii after a witness recorded him chucking a coconut-sized rock at “Lani,” a beloved, endangered Hawaiian monk seal off a Maui beach, was arrested Wednesday by federal agents.
Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, is charged with harassing a protected animal, the U.S. attorney’s office in Honolulu said, adding that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration special agents arrested him near Seattle. He was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Thursday.
The court docket didn’t list an attorney, and a person who answered the phone at a number associated with Lytvynchuk declined to comment.
A state Department of Land and Natural Resources officer last week investigated a report of Hawaiian monk seal harassment in Lahaina, the community that was largely destroyed by a deadly wildfire in 2023. A witness showed the officer video of the seal swimming in shallow water while a man watched from shore.
“In the cellphone video, the man can be seen holding a large rock with one hand, aiming, and throwing it directly at the monk seal,” prosecutors said in a criminal complaint. The rock narrowly missed the seal’s head, but caused the “animal to abruptly alter its behavior,” the complaint said.
When a witness confronted the man, he said “he did not care and was ‘rich’ enough to pay any fines,” the complaint said.
Maui resident Kaylee Schnitzer, 18, told HawaiiNewsNow she witnessed the incident while taking photos nearby.
“What he was picking up was like a rock the size of a coconut,” Schnitzer said. “It wasn’t no small rock. It was the size of a coconut. And he threw it right, directly aiming towards the monk seal’s head.”
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said the charges send a clear message that cruelty toward protected wildlife won’t be tolerated. Lani’s return after the wildfires brought a sense of healing and hope during a difficult time, he said.
“Lani is a reminder that humanity and the instinct to protect what is vulnerable are still values people can unite around,” Bissen said in an emailed statement.
The mayor said he called the U.S. attorney in Honolulu to advocate for prosecution.
Lytvynchuk is charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
Hawaiian monk seals are a critically endangered species. Only 1,600 remain in the wild.
“The unique and precious wildlife of the Hawaiian Islands are renowned symbols of Hawaii’s special place in the world and its incredible biodiversity,” U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson said in a statement. “We are committed to protecting our vulnerable wild species, in particular, endangered Hawaiian monk seals.”
If convicted, Lytvynchuk, faces up to one year in prison for each charge. He also faces a fine of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and a fine of up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
In 2016, a man was seen on video appearing to beat a pregnant Hawaiian monk seal in shallow water.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Concrete fell from the exterior of an Ala Moana Center parking structure Monday afternoon near the Kapiolani Boulevard exit, damaging a vehicle.
No injuries were reported.
Security blocked an exit lane as debris scattered across the roadway. Ala Moana Center said they are grateful no one was hurt, and the lane will remain closed while structural engineers and construction professionals assess the damage and make repairs.
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Hawaii
Hawaii weather: USGS revised 4.6 magnitude earthquake off Kona coast, south swell, passing showers
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii (AP) — The on-and-off eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano broke a record Monday with the number of periods it has produced fountains of lava since it began erupting in December 2024, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.
Monday marked 48 fountaining episodes, setting the record for any one eruption on Kilauea, said Katie Mulliken, a geologist and spokesperson with the observatory.
Episodes are separated by periods during which little to no lava erupts. Since lava is coming from the same vents in a crater at Kilauea’s summit, it is the same overall eruption, Mulliken said in an email.
There are several notable aspects of the current eruption, she said, including how accessible it is for viewing by residents and tourists. An eruption during the 1980s, in which 47 lava fountaining episodes occurred over about 3 1/2 years, occurred in a more remote area, she said.
The ongoing eruption is also reshaping the topography at the summit, she said.
But the lava fountains also can impact neighboring communities with volcanic fragments and ash, known as tephra.
Kilauea, located on Hawaii Island, is one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
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