Louisiana Couple Hit With Fine After Touching Endangered Monk Seal in Hawaii

A Louisiana couple was fined after a viral video showed a woman touching an endangered Hawaiian monk seal on a Kauai beach. The video, filmed during the couple’s honeymoon last month, shows the woman touching the animal before sprinting away. Although the woman’s TikTok page was set to private, the video has been viewed over 74,000 times on Instagram.

The husband, Stephen, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that he and his wife Lakyn have received death threats since the video went viral. He asked that their last names not be published. “We’re deeply sorry,” Stephen told the Star-Advertiser. “We love Hawaii and the culture. We didn’t mean to offend anyone. We respect the culture.”

Stephen and Lakyn were on Kauai for their honeymoon after they got married in Maui. They had never seen a monk seal before and did not know it was a protected endangered species. Stephen told the Star-Advertiser they did not see any signs. “We didn’t know anything but I know that’s no excuse,” he added. The video shows Lakyn touching the animal as it was resting. The seal then snapped at her, so she screamed and ran away.

A spokeswoman for the NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Regional Office said the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement will investigate the video. However, Stephen said they were already contacted by NOAA authorities and were ordered to pay an undisclosed fine. “We sincerely apologize if we offended any locals. The last thing we want to do is disrespect anyone or anybody’s culture or lifestyle. That’s something we’re really, really sorry about,” Stephen told the Star-Advertiser.

The monk seals population is down to an estimated 1,400, with most of them living in the Northwestern Hawaii Islands. The population is protected under the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act. Disturbing one is a Class C felony under state and federal laws. Violators could be fined up to $50,000 and receive up to five years in prison. In 2018, NOAA fined an Alabama man $1,500 for touching a monk seal and a sea turtle. The man posted videos of his interactions with the animals on Instagram.