Tourist Accused of Throwing Rock at Endangered Hawaiian Seal Claims Airline Failed to Warn Him

A Washington state tourist accused of throwing a large rock toward an endangered Hawaiian monk seal is seeking records from Delta Air Lines as his legal team prepares to challenge the allegations against him.

Igor Lytvynchuk, 38, has pleaded not guilty to two federal misdemeanor charges stemming from an incident on May 5 near Lahaina, Maui, when a bystander-recorded video allegedly showed him throwing a coconut-sized rock toward the seal.

According to prosecutors, the rock narrowly missed the animal’s head but caused it to abruptly change its behavior. The footage spread widely online, triggering public outrage and calls for authorities to prosecute the case.

Now, Lytvynchuk’s defense attorneys are seeking evidence about whether passengers on his April 28 flight from Seattle to Maui received any warnings about Hawaii’s protected wildlife.

Court records indicate the defense subpoenaed Delta for information about passenger announcements, in-flight videos and other materials that might have informed travelers about endangered species and restrictions on approaching them.

The defense argues that the information could help establish whether Lytvynchuk was warned about the laws protecting Hawaiian monk seals before arriving on the island. The request does not establish that Delta failed to provide a warning, and the airline’s records will be needed to clarify what information, if any, was presented.

His attorney has also offered a different explanation for the incident, saying Lytvynchuk believed he was trying to protect sea turtles from the seal. That claim remains the defense’s account and has not been established as fact.

The Hawaiian monk seal is critically endangered, with approximately 1,600 believed to remain in the wild. The species is protected under both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

If convicted, Lytvynchuk could face up to one year in prison for each charge, along with substantial fines.

His trial, originally scheduled for November 2026, has been postponed to January 19, 2027, to allow additional time for the defense to gather evidence. The case continues as the court considers the competing arguments surrounding the encounter.

Source: DAILYMAIL