Rock-throwing tourist charged after video of endangered Hawaiian monk seal attack

A 38-year-old tourist from Covington, Washington, Igor Lytvynchuk, was arrested by NOAA agents for harassing a protected Hawaiian monk seal after a witness recorded him throwing a coconut-sized rock at the seal in Lahaina, Maui. He faces charges under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, with potential penalties of up to one year in prison per count and substantial fines; he’s scheduled to appear in Seattle federal court. The case underscores wildlife-protection enforcement in Hawaii and the community’s ongoing recovery efforts after wildfires.