Massive Passenger Boat Capsizes in Hefty Waves Near a Hawaii Beach
The Discovery, a 60-foot yacht owned by Atlantis Adventures, ran aground off Hawaii's Kewalo Basin Harbor on August 9, 2025. The incident occurred around 8:25 a.m., a time noted for peaking ocean swells and bottoming tide.
Weather conditions featured gentle 5 mph winds but 8 to 10-foot seas with an increasing south swell creating breaking waves of 10 to 12 feet on the south shore. The boat's operator reported taking two large waves to the stern, which disrupted the course. Despite the vessel being Coast Guard certified and its captains being trained and certified, the Discovery was pushed into shallow water (about two-feet deep or less) by the powerful surf, listing and nearly capsizing before coming to rest aground about 60 feet outside the harbor.
Attempts to tow the Discovery off the reef were initially unsuccessful when cleats used for towing failed. Subsequently, the boat's fuel, oil, and batteries were removed to prevent pollution. The vessel was secured to a seawall awaiting salvage and inspection before returning to service.
Atlantis Adventures is working closely with government regulatory agencies to remove the boat from where it was grounded. The company plans to tow the Discovery away at high tide on Sunday afternoon. Fortunately, the two crew members aboard the Discovery during the incident were not injured.
The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the reason for the boat's trouble. The incident happened near Honolulu's Kewalo Basin Harbor, a popular location for marine activities. The Discovery, which ferries people to and from the Waikiki submarine dive site, will undergo thorough inspections before returning to service to ensure the safety of its passengers.
- The weather conditions, with their 8 to 10-foot seas and breaking waves reaching up to 12 feet, are believed to have played a significant role in the grounding of The Discovery off Seattle's Kewalo Basin Harbor, similar to the incident that occurred in Hawaii on August 9, 2025.
- The government regulatory agencies in Seattle have expressed general concerns about the incident involving The Discovery, given the potential for accidents in locations with high marine activity like Kewalo Basin Harbor, which is much like Honolulu's Kewalo Basin Harbor.
- Despite the focus on sports and weather news, the grounding of The Discovery is a top story in Seattle's general news, much like the attention received by the initial incident in Hawaii.
