A visitor to Maui has sparked fury in Hawaii after allegedly throwing rocks at Lani, a well-known Hawaiian monk seal cherished by Lahaina locals and seen by many as a symbol of recovery after the town’s devastating wildfires.
The incident unfolded on a beach in Lahaina, where the man, described as a 37-year-old from Seattle, Washington, was accused of harassing the endangered animal. Hawaiian monk seals are among the rarest marine mammals in the world, with only about 1,400 remaining.
Kaylee Ku’ukamaleimakamae Schnitzer, who filmed the encounter, said she challenged the man over his behaviour. She told KHON2 that he replied, “I don’t care, fine me, I’m rich”, before walking away.
The footage quickly drew widespread condemnation online, with many locals trying to identify the man. In separate video, he also appeared to be confronted physically by an angry resident, who struck him repeatedly.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said Maui police alerted officials to a reported case of monk seal harassment. The department’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement opened an investigation, and a 37-year-old man from Seattle matching the description was arrested and detained. No criminal charges have been filed.
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen addressed the incident in a strongly worded statement, saying: “By now, we’ve all heard about the disturbing incident against our friend, Lani, the Hawaiian monk seal”.
“Like many in our community, I was shocked by what happened. Lani is not just a seal to us; she is part of our ocean Ohana (family) in Lahaina.
“Many of our residents know her, watch over her, and care deeply about her.”
He thanked “everyone who stepped in to protect” Lani and said: “As Mayor, I not only have a responsibility to protect the people of Maui County, but also the wildlife and animals that share these islands with us.
“Let me be clear: this is not the type of visitor we welcome on Maui.
“Behaviour like this will not be tolerated.”
Bissen also vowed to pursue the matter aggressively, saying he would “see to it personally” that the alleged attacker was prosecuted “to the fullest extent of the law whether at the County, State, or Federal level”.
“There must be consequences, Lani, we have your back”, he added.
State Senator Brenton Awa also commented on the fallout, referring to the local man seen confronting the visitor. “Some of us have seen an environmental activist, I like to call them, who took matters into his own hands to educate what might happen when you mess with our lands or the animals,” Awa said.
He added: “Our attorney over here wants to make it clear we don’t condone violence, but we did make a letter of recognition for ‘Mr Ambassador of Aloha’.”
Hawaiian monk seals are protected under the US Federal Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Hawaii state law. It is illegal to disturb, harass, feed or harm one, and breaches can carry fines of up to $US50,000 ($56,300) or criminal penalties.
The seriousness of those protections has been underscored before. In 2017, a man was sentenced to four years in prison for beating a Hawaiian monk seal with his fists.
