A damage assessment conducted by divers from the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), found that the luxury yacht Nakoa, that was grounded outside the Honolua-Mokulēʻia Bay Marine Life Conservation District on Maui’s northwestern coast for nearly two weeks, caused damage to corals and reef live rock covering at least 19,434-square-feet.  

The DAR team conducted a preliminary damage investigation the day after the vessel grounded which showed damage to nineteen coral colonies. Throughout the duration of its grounding, the Nakoa remained in extremely shallow water along the basalt boulder shoreline in a high wave environment. 

In a press release, Russell Sparks, the DAR aquatic biologist leading the assessment team, said, “We are looking for two things. The initial impact when the vessel grounded, and then the scars that occurred as the boat was dragged back off the flat reef surface into deeper water.”

Highly visible, parallel scars extend 246 feet into deeper water. The first 49 feet consist of two deep “trench-like” scars, about 16 feet apart. Sparks said, “In this area we found 101 impacted coral colonies, and damage to live rock covering nearly 2,099 square feet. 

The DLNR is not holding the salvage company or tug company that pulled the boat off the reef responsible for any damage but has made it clear that the yacht’s owner will be responsible for salvage costs, as well as for damage to live rock and coral. 

Following the DAR assessment, a team from the Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute collected more than 100 fragments of damaged coral and plans to recover more. The fragments will be grown out at the marine institute lab for future coral restoration projects, as appropriate. 

A final report on live rock/coral damage will be presented to the Board of Land and Natural Resources, along with DAR’s recommended fines and penalties for the damage. 

 

DLNR Photo