Arrogant tourist who threw huge rock at Hawaiian seal gives ridiculous reason for attack
A tourist in Hawaii has been charged for throwing a rock at an endangered monk seal, claiming he was trying to protect turtles. Igor Lytvynchuk's actions were caught on video, leading to public outrage and a physical altercation with locals. He now faces federal charges that could result in a year in prison and a hefty fine.
- ▪Igor Lytvynchuk, 38, was charged with disturbing an endangered animal after throwing a rock at a Hawaiian monk seal.
- ▪His lawyer stated that Lytvynchuk intended to scare the seal away from two turtles he believed were in danger.
- ▪The incident, which occurred on May 5, went viral and resulted in local backlash against Lytvynchuk.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
US News Arrogant tourist who threw huge rock at Hawaiian seal gives ridiculous reason for attack By Jorge Fitz-Gibbon Published May 17, 2026, 4:31 p.m. ET He’s making another splash. The entitled tourist charged with hurling a massive rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal claims he was actually doing a good thing – by trying to save a pair of helpless turtles. Igor Lytvynchuk, 38, was hit with federal charges and beaten up by locals after the caught-on-video incident at a Lahaina beach on May 5, but was only trying to protect the turtles — known locally as honu — by scaring the beloved seal away, his lawyer told reporters. “I want to be resoundingly clear to the public – he never intended to injure the monk seal,” attorney Myles Breiner told KHON-TV News.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at New York Post.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from New York Post
