The rock, described by witness Kaylee Schnitzer as 'coconut-sized,' landed inches from the seal, which was visibly spooked. After the incident, the seal lay down and didn't move for a while. It is unclear if the seal was injured.
Schnitzer yelled at the man asking why he threw the rock. According to Metro - Main, the man replied that he didn't care and could pay any fine because he was rich. Schnitzer and a friend called the police.
Police arrived and detained the man, a 37-year-old from Seattle, Washington. He has not been criminally charged yet but is facing a federal investigation from the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement (NOAA-OLE). The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) said DOCARE’s Maui Branch was notified of the harassment case by Maui Police Department Dispatch.
A DOCARE officer responded and contacted the suspect, who matched the description. The man was detained, identified, and advised of his legal rights, but he declined to make a statement and requested an attorney. DOCARE is turning over the state investigation to NOAA-OLE for further review and action, and will not release his identity.
The seal, named Lani by locals, is known to play and frequent the shallow water off Lahaina. There are an estimated 1,600 mature Hawaiian monk seals left in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The species was declared endangered in 1976 and is protected under the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Hawaii state law.
Monk seals are known to be territorial if threatened. In 2022, a monk seal nicknamed Rocky dragged a woman underwater in Waikiki when she got too close to its pup. The woman was taken to the hospital with cuts to her face, back, and arm.
On Oʻahu, there have been several reports of people breaching the temporary fence at Kaimana Beach that marks the resting area for Kaiwi, a 15-year-old female monk seal, and her pup. Kaiwi gave birth on the beach May 3. DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla warned that if a mother seal perceives any human or pet as a threat, she may attack.
He noted that some NOAA fines have been substantial, totaling several thousand dollars. The DLNR asks the public to keep dogs leashed and away from seals, use alternate beaches during nursing periods, stay at least 150 feet from mothers with pups, stay at least 50 feet from all monk seals, remain behind posted signs or barriers, avoid swimming near a mother and pup, and use camera zoom. The DLNR is also investigating social media postings on Instagram that appear to show an adult male throwing an object toward a monk seal while it was swimming in the water off the Lahaina shoreline.
DOCARE Chief Redulla emphasized the importance of reporting such incidents and reminded the public that monk seals are protected by federal and state laws.