A man was detained in Hawaii after a viral video showed him throwing a rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal named Lani while the animal was swimming off Lahaina, Maui. The clip, filmed on May 6, quickly moved from local outrage to wider attention, helped along by the man’s reported response when confronted: not exactly a masterclass in regret.
According to witness Kaylee Schnitzer, who recorded the video and later spoke to KHON2, the man was challenged by locals and other visitors after the incident. She said he replied, “I don’t care. Fine me, I’m rich,” after being told police had been called.
What officials say happened in Lahaina
The man has been identified only as a 37-year-old from Seattle, Washington. Officials have not publicly released his name, and he has not been criminally charged.
The Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement’s Maui Branch said the man was detained after the incident. In a statement, DOCARE said he declined to give a statement and invoked his legal rights by requesting an attorney.
The agency said the case would be referred to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement for possible further action. That matters because Hawaiian monk seals are federally protected marine mammals, not background scenery for anyone’s vacation choices.
