{"id":8702,"date":"2026-05-13T10:02:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T10:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetwistzone.com\/?p=8702"},"modified":"2026-05-13T10:02:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T10:02:58","slug":"man-given-reward-after-beating-up-tourist-who-threw-rock-at-beloved-seal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetwistzone.com\/?p=8702","title":{"rendered":"Man given reward after beating up tourist who threw rock at beloved seal"},"content":{"rendered":"

A tourist accused of hurling a large rock at a beloved endangered seal in Hawaii was met with an unexpected response moments later when an enraged local rushed in and attacked him in front of stunned beachgoers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The disturbing incident unfolded along the shoreline near Front Street in Lahaina, Maui, where witnesses said a 37-year-old visitor from Seattle repeatedly approached an endangered Hawaiian monk seal known to locals as Lani before hurling a massive a rock directly toward the\u00a0animal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The encounter quickly sparked outrage across Hawaii, where Lani has become a familiar and deeply cherished presence for many residents since returning to Lahaina following the devastating 2023 wildfires.<\/p>\n

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Tourist aimed rock toward seal\u2019s head<\/h2>\n

According to witnesses, Lani had been resting near the shoreline on May 5 when a\u00a0tourist<\/a>\u00a0moved dangerously close to the seal several times.<\/p>\n

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Maui resident Kaylee Schnitzer, who filmed the incident, told\u00a0Hawaii News Now<\/a>\u00a0that \u201cHe picked up a rock the size of a coconut and he threw it right, directly aiming toward the monk seal\u2019s head.\u201d<\/p>\n

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While she was recording, Schnitzer can be heard yelling at the man: \u201cWhat are you doing? Why would you throw a rock at it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe told him that we called the cops, and he was like, \u2018I don\u2019t care. Fine me, I\u2019m rich.\u2019 He said that, and he kept walking,\u201d she told Maui\u2019s\u00a0KHON2<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Endangered species<\/h2>\n

After the video was shared on social media, it spread rapidly where viewers reacted with fury over the tourist\u2019s gross behavior.<\/p>\n

Hawaiian monk seals are considered one of the world\u2019s most endangered marine mammals and are protected under both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0NOAA Fisheries<\/a>, the remaining population is only about one-third the size it was roughly 60 years ago.<\/p>\n

With so few seals left \u2013 and Lani already\u00a0deeply loved<\/a>\u00a0by many in Maui \u2013 it did not take long for anger to spread across the beach once people realized someone had targeted her.<\/p>\n

\u2018Karma\u2019 served<\/h2>\n

After beachgoers realized what had happened, at least one local man confronted the tourist physically.<\/p>\n

In a\u00a0separate clip<\/a>\u00a0shared online, a shirtless man is seen approaching the Seattle visitor from behind before knocking him to the ground and throwing several punches in rapid succession.<\/p>\n

The video, titled \u201cMaui has a way of delivering karma like no other,\u201d quickly exploded online, with thousands of viewers praising the unidentified local for defending the seal.<\/p>\n

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