LAHAINA, Hawaii (Island News) — Federal investigators are now looking into a viral incident in Lahaina after a video appearing to show a man throwing a large rock toward a Hawaiian monk seal spread widely across social media.
The video, first shared by HHHNewz, shows a man and woman walking near the shoreline before the man appears to throw a rock toward a monk seal swimming offshore. The rock appears to narrowly miss the animal as people nearby react.
NOAA Fisheries confirmed Wednesday that its Office of Law Enforcement is actively investigating the incident.
“NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement is investigating an incident in Lahaina, Maui, involving an individual who appears to throw a large rock towards a swimming Hawaiian monk seal on May 5,” a NOAA spokesperson said in a statement.
Officials said Hawaiian monk seals are protected under the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act and Hawaii state law.
A viral video from Lahaina appears to show a man throwing a large rock toward a Hawaiian monk seal in the water. Authorities said the encounter is now under federal investigation. Experts said human disturbance remains one of the biggest threats to the endangered species.
According to NOAA, actions or attempts to “harass, hunt, shoot, capture, trap, kill, collect, wound, harm or pursue” a monk seal can carry penalties including major fines and possible criminal consequences.
Potential federal penalties in serious cases can include fines up to $50,000 and possible jail time depending on the circumstances and whether prosecutors pursue criminal charges.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources is also conducting its own investigation, but said the case will ultimately be turned over to federal authorities because monk seals fall under federal marine mammal protections.
DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement Chief Jason Redulla confirmed officers identified the man seen in the video after receiving a report through Maui Police dispatch.
“That individual has been identified. We know who he is,” Redulla said during a media briefing Wednesday.
Redulla said officers contacted the man and advised him of his legal rights while attempting to initiate the investigation.
“That individual has invoked his legal rights, and as a result, we’re not able to speak to that individual at this time due to his invoking of his constitutional rights,” Redulla said.
As of Wednesday evening, the man was not in custody and had not been charged.
“We are conducting investigation. We have gathered statements, we have gathered evidence, and we are preparing to complete our investigative report and turn our investigation over to the federal government, NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, so that they can pursue potential federal enforcement action with this case on Maui,” Redulla said.
When asked whether the state planned to hold the man accountable, Redulla said federal investigators will now determine whether enforcement action is appropriate.
“With respect to monk seals, because they’re marine mammals for which the Marine Mammal Protection Act applies to, we have to allow the federal government to undergo their process,” he said.
Questions About Access to the Area
The incident happened near Lahaina’s Front Street shoreline area, leading some online to question whether the people involved were illegally inside the burn zone.
However, Maui County officials said portions of the shoreline in that area are currently open to the public for recreational access, while other sections of the surrounding disaster zone remain closed and restricted.
“Beach areas are open to the public, but portions of the Lahaina disaster zone, including Front Street, remain closed,” Maui County said in a statement.
County officials said closed areas are fenced and clearly marked as off limits.
Safety Distances and Monk Seal Protections
The video also appears to show people standing much closer to the monk seal than NOAA’s recommended viewing distance.
Officials advise the public to stay at least 50 feet away from monk seals both on land and in the water. For mothers with pups, officials recommend staying at least 150 feet away.
The investigation comes just days after the birth of a Hawaiian monk seal pup at Kaimana Beach on Oahu, where volunteers and conservation workers have fenced off sections of the shoreline to protect the newborn and its mother during the critical first weeks of development.
DLNR said people have already been crossing into fenced-off areas near the pup despite warnings.
“It’s very important that people show respect to these animals and stay out of the seal resting area,” Redulla said.
He warned monk seal mothers can become aggressive if they perceive humans as threats to their pups.
“We don’t want people to get hurt,” he said.
Conservation workers said Hawaiian monk seals remain one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world, with only about 1,600 left in the wild.
“The biggest threats to monk seals are fishing entanglements, disease and human caused trauma,” said McKinley Walter with Hawaii Marine Animal Response.
“So those are the top three things that we fight to protect for these monk seals.”
DLNR officials also emphasized that human interaction with young monk seals can negatively impact their ability to survive independently in the wild.
“In order to allow this pup the ability to learn how to be an independent, wild and feral seal that’s capable of living in the wild, we ask people to stay away from these seals,” Redulla said.
NOAA is asking anyone who witnesses potential harassment or harm involving protected marine animals in Hawaii to report it immediately to the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement at 800-853-1964.
