A 37-year-old Seattle man was detained this week after he allegedly threw a rock toward a monk seal while it was swimming in the water off the Maui shoreline, officials said.
A social media post of the incident appears to show a man lugging a large rock aimed at the seal’s head and ignoring others’ call to stay away from the animal known as Lani.
The Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources said in a news release Wednesday that its officials responded to the incident Tuesday after receiving a call from a Maui police dispatcher.
The Seattle man, who has not been criminally charged, requested a lawyer and declined to speak with the officials, the department said.
The department noted Hawaiian monk seals are protected under federal and state law. Officials advise people to stay at least 50 feet away from all monk seals and 150 feet away from mother seals with pups.
The department also noted there have been several reports of the public breaching the temporary fence at Kaimana Beach on the island of O’ahu. The fence is there to mark the resting area for 15-year-old female monk seal Kaiwi who gave birth on the beach over the weekend.
“To keep people and pets safe, and to protect our endangered marine life, we ask the public’s help by showing respect for these animals and following all guidelines for safe viewing,” the department said.
