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A newlywed couple have apologized and and will pay a fine after a video, showing them disturbing an endangered monk seal at a beach in Hawaii during, went viral on social media.
The video, which has been seen more than 37,000 times, sparked outrage on Monday as it shows Lakyn approach and touch the endangered animal.
The seal snaps at her while her husband, Stephen, recorded it for her TikTok.
The Louisiana couple asked that their surnames not be published as they have received death threats over the video and have since set the TikTok account to private.
'We didn't mean to offend anyone,' Stephen told the Star Advertiser. 'We love Hawaii and the culture.'
'We're deeply sorry,' he added. 'We'll learn from this mistake.'
The couple were on Kauai for their honeymoon when they noticed the monk seal resting on the beach.
The couple claimed to be unaware of the laws pertaining to the endangered seals.
Lakyn can be seen touching an endangered monk seal at a Hawaiian beach while her husband, Stephen, records it for her TikTok
The seal snaps back at her. Hawaii's guidelines states that visitors should not touch or disturb monks seals on the beach
The video ends with Lakyn darting away from the seal. The mammals are protected by state and
