A video shot on the island of Maui, Hawaii, on May 5 sparked outrage on social media. The video shows a man on the beach, facing the sea, where a seal is swimming peacefully. But the man, an American tourist, then throws a large rock at it. The projectile seems to hit very close to the animal’s head, causing it to panic and flee.
“What are you doing? Why are you throwing a rock at it?” asks Kaylee Schnitzer, the woman who filmed the video, horrified. “We told him that we had called the police, and he replied, ‘I don’t care. Give me a fine, I’m rich’,” she told local media KHON 2.
The man apprehended
According to authorities, the seal targeted by the tourist is a monk seal, an endangered species with only about 1,600 individuals left in Hawaii. The animal, known as Lani, is well known to the residents of Maui. Environmental authorities do not currently know the exact health status of Lani. Fortunately, the video appears to show the rock narrowly missing the animal’s head. Those who witnessed this act of cruelty then alerted the police, who intervened.
In the United States, harming an endangered species is illegal and punishable by a heavy fine of $50,000 or even imprisonment. The man was apprehended. However, while authorities wanted to question him about the incident, the suspect invoked his rights and requested a lawyer, making interrogation impossible. He was released, but an investigation has been opened. The man could be charged in the coming days or weeks.
“This is not the kind of visitors we want to welcome to Maui,” reacted island mayor Richard Bissen. This sentiment is shared by residents, as another video posted on social media shows the suspect of the seal attack being punched by a local as he tried to leave the beach.
