A manta ray dive boat ran aground Thursday night approximately 100 yards south of the Honokohau Harbor entrance, sending five people to the hospital.
Shortly after 10 p.m., the Hawaii Fire Department and Coast Guard responded to the call of the 35-foot fiberglass boat Honokohau Loa which sustained substantial front hull damage. The boat had six people on board including the captain.
Five of the people were extricated and taken to Kona Community Hospital for treatment.
Although the boat sustained damage, it was able to refloat and was escorted to the harbor, where it was taken out of the water.
The Coast Guard is investigating the incident and the captain’s alcohol and drug test results are pending.
Although there are no rules governing the popular night viewing dives, the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation has developed a proposed series of rules that would limit the number and activities of permitted commercial manta ray viewing operators in order to mitigate overcrowding, environmental impacts and safety concerns.
The proposed new rules would limit manta viewing in Makako Bay and Kaukalaelae Point and significantly curtail the number of permits issued to manta viewing operators.
Other rules being suggested are:
• Establishing 48 manta ray viewing permits;
• Establishing viewing hours and shifts;
• Establishing a maximum passenger count;
• Establishing a passenger to guide ratio of 8:1;
• Vessels are required to moor;
• A no-wake zone will be put in place;
• Fishing is banned;
• Underwater hull lighting is prohibited;
• Campfire must be used.
In an open letter to DLNR, Kona Honu Divers, who have conducted manta night dives for over 20 years, said safety measures they have taken include using an underwater diver recall sound system, limiting divers to six per guide, requiring that divers have been diving in the last two years or get a refresher, including a daytime dive prior to the night dive to allow divers to become comfortable with their skills and gear before the manta ray dive, ensuring staff is trained in lifesaving with a lifeguard or divemaster certification, and requiring staff to follow the standards put in place by the industry.
“What is being proposed by the state is to go above and beyond these already agreed-upon, but not widely followed, standards enforcing greater control over the manta ray tourism industry,” the letter states.
“Currently a lottery system is being suggested where operators with greater than four years of manta tour operations are eligible. An operator that has been running manta tours for decades, with a multimillion dollar annual business revenue, has the same chance of receiving a permit as a business that is currently limited to maximum of six passengers and started four years ago.”