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.
New York Post files mainly under news. We currently carry 9,181 of its stories.
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
