WATCH: Terrifying video of passenger vessel caught in Honolulu’s waves
Image courtesy of Island News
Seemingly only two people were onboard when these terrifying videos were taken of a passenger vessel losing control near Kewalo Basin in Honolulu last Saturday (9 August 2025). Both the vessel’s captain and one crew member escaped unharmed.
Exact details of what happened are under investigation by Sector Honolulu (the US Coast Guard command responsible for maritime safety, security, and stewardship in the Hawaiian Islands), but Discovery’s operator reported that two large waves disrupted his course and that he lost propulsion once the vessel went aground.
Discovery seemingly ran aground on a coral reef approximately 60 feet outside Kewalo Basin Harbor and now the vessel — which operates as a shuttle for Atlantis Adventures — is currently secured to the seawall, awaiting commercial salvage.
Warning: expletives can be heard in this footage.
A wave picked up the boat
Surfing filmmaker Ramon Brockington told the Associated Press that he and others had been anticipating the higher swells for three days after monitoring weather apps.
Brockington was filming body surfers nearby in an area off the harbour known as Panic Point.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” he says. “It almost looked like it was going to flip.
‘”Basically they were coming in trying to beat this wave, and the boat didn’t have enough power to get in front of this wave. So what happened was a wave ended up picking up the boat, and the captain basically lost all steering whatsoever.”
Pollution hazards removed from Honolulu ferry
All accessible petroleum products and eight marine batteries have already been removed. In total 2,275 gallons of diesel fuel and 36 gallons of hydraulic oil were removed, with the coast guard stating that no pollution or sheening has been reported.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation are overseeing the vessel’s salvage.
“The safe removal of a large, grounded vessel is a complex undertaking that requires careful coordination and planning,” says Daniel Brahan, chief of prevention, Sector Honolulu. “We ask that beachgoers and boaters keep a safe distance from the Discovery as salvage operations continue.”
There were reportedly no mechanical failures prior to the vessel running aground.
“We are working closely with all government regulatory agencies to have the shuttle boat safely removed from where it was grounded, towed back to its pier location and thoroughly inspected before it is returned to service,” says Atlantis Adventures. Usually the vessel shuttles passengers to Atlantis Submarine Adventures in Waikiki – a company that offers submarine tours 100-feet below the surface.
Atlantis also noted that Discovery is coast guard certified and regularly undergoes coast guard inspections. Its captains ferry people to and from the Waikiki submarine dive site and are trained and coast guard certified.
Kewalo Basin is a small harbour near Waikiki. At the time of the incident, there were 5mph winds and 8 to 10-foot seas with a building south swell resulting in 10 to 12-foot breaking waves on Oahu’s south shore.
The footage shows a large wave pushing Discovery sideways before the passenger ferry grounded around 60 feet from the harbour entrance.
Honolulu Ocean Safety jet ski teams reached the scene at speed – both crew members were unharmed and opted to stay on the vessel until high tide. Discovery eventually drifted against a concrete wall. Coast guard boats couldn’t access the site due to shallow water and a tugboat’s first salvage attempt failed when the ship’s cleats gave way.
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