A young Hawaiian monk seal pup at Diamond Head Beach was allegedly targeted by two men who witnesses say approached the animal and threw a rock at it Sunday afternoon. The disturbing encounter is now under investigation as Hawaii’s peak monk seal pupping season continues.
According to Hawaii News Now, a nearby couple confronted the men and recorded their exchange on camera. The report did not identify the men or say whether the pup was injured, but state officials are reviewing the incident for possible wildlife violations.
Diamond Head Incident Lands During Peak Pupping Season
The timing matters because Hawaiian monk seal births are busiest from March through August, according to the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources. Mothers typically nurse their pups for five to seven weeks, and repeated disturbances can stress the animals or cause a mother to abandon a nursing area.
DLNR guidance calls for people to stay at least 150 feet from a mother and pup, 50 feet from other monk seals, and behind any posted signs, cones or barriers. The agency estimates that only about 1,600 Hawaiian monk seals remain, with roughly 400 living in the main Hawaiian Islands, according to its Hawaiian monk seal information page.
Federal Protections Could Turn Investigation Into Charges
Hawaiian monk seals are protected under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act, which prohibit harassment, harm and other forms of disturbance. NOAA Fisheries says its Office of Law Enforcement investigates potential violations and may pursue civil penalties or refer cases for criminal prosecution.
A similar May incident on Maui shows that rock-throwing allegations can carry more than social-media outrage. Federal prosecutors charged Washington man Igor Lytvynchuk after he was accused of throwing a large rock toward a monk seal’s head, in a case previously detailed in a Hoodline report and announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaiʻi.
Anyone who witnesses suspected harassment or harm should call the NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline at 888-256-9840 or the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement at 800-853-1964. Photos, video, descriptions and other identifying details can help investigators determine what happened at Diamond Head Beach.
