Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: Where are you located?
• Q: What is the environmental impact of creating an artificial reef off Lahaina?
• Q: Whose idea was this?
• Q: Isn’t the Carthaginian considered a historical artifact?
• Q: Why not just fix the vessel?
• Q: Where exactly will the artificial reef be located?
• Q: Why is it necessary for Atlantis to create an artificial reef? Is this being done just to make more money?
• Q: Could the sunken vessel potentially be a danger to scuba divers, swimmers, and surfers?
• Q: How will the sunken vessel affect marine life in the area?
• Q: What about attracting sharks to the area?
• Q: Who’s involved in this project?
• Q: Does this cost taxpayers anything?

• A: Creating an artificial reef by sinking the Carthaginian will have very little, if any, negative impact on the surrounding ocean environment. Atlantis Adventures has retained BEI Environmental Services of Honolulu to oversee this project and is taking every safety precaution to ensure that the marine life will not be harmed.
  
  The sunken vessel will be secured on a sandy bottom away from more prominent reef colonies. This will begin the natural process of creating an artificial reef that will be very beneficial to the marine life environment, highlighted by the following:
  
  • Increasing the biomass of marine life in the area.
  • Providing a future source of marine life to help relieve the pressure off natural reefs from overuse by divers.
  • Providing the juvenile species of fish a place to grow. • Becoming a replenishment area for fish to congregate.
  • Creating a solid substrate for coral to take hold and grow.
  • Developing a new dive attraction for scuba divers and submarine tours.
  • Creating an educational opportunity for schools, such as Maui Community
  • College’s marine option program, to study the biomass increase.
  
  A detailed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding the artificial reef was prepared and distributed to approximately 30 federal, state, and county agencies and community-based organizations. Based on this report, theHawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources gave its approval. A copy of the EIS is available upon request.



• A: Once the Lahaina Restoration Foundation decided to dispose of the Carthaginian, the nonprofit organization contacted Atlantis Adventures to see if there was interest in acquiring the vessel for use as an artificial reef.



• A: No. The 97-foot, steel-hulled vessel has no historical value of any significance. Originally, it was a freight carrier in Germany before being converted in 1973 into a replica of a whaling supply vessel for display in Lahaina Harbor.



• A: A cost estimate and feasibility study done on behalf of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation concluded it would not be cost effective to restore the vessel. In addition, the study noted there was a strong possibility the vessel would not survive being towed from Lahaina to Honolulu for restoration.



• A: It will be approximately a half-mile offshore of the Lahaina coastline between Puamana Park and Launiapoko Park at a depth of 95 feet.



• A: Atlantis’s reasons for creating an artificial reef are basically threefold:
  1. It will enhance the development of fish and coral in the area. Artificial reefs have a proven track record of increasing the biomass of marine life in any given area. In 1989, Atlantis successfully launched its first artificial reef project off Waikiki; an area that was once a sparsely populated undersea habitat today thrives with an abundance of marine life due to the artificial reef.
     
     
  2. Establishing an artificial reef – and a new place for marine life to flourish – will provide divers with alternative sites to popular dive locations. This will help relieve man’s impact on the natural reefs in the surrounding area.
     
     
  3. While Atlantis’s business is to provide an undersea experience found nowhere else in Hawaii, we strongly support the conservation message we impart to our visitors: To respect and protect our environment. The artificial reef off Lahaina will fundamentally improve marine life in the area. By protecting and promoting the development of coral reefs, we are improving the quality of our natural resources.



• A: The vessel will be anchored in 95 feet of water, which makes it a standard dive for most scuba operations. Scuba divers are advised to follow the safety precautions they would typically observe with any dive. Free divers should also watch for rigging wires being put in place to secure the masts.

  There will be no impact on swimmers or surfers. The vessel will be located far enough from shore to not affect the surf break on large swell days.

• A: The environmental damage caused to West Maui’s marine life – from construction runoff to snorkeling – has been an ongoing concern to the community. By using the vessel to create an artificial reef, Atlantis is developing a “new” undersea habitat that will produce an increase in fish, coral and other marine life. In effect, this proactive measure by Atlantis is improving marine conservation for the area. Over time, the vessel will slowly deteriorate and evolve into a natural reef setting as the coral grows and sustains itself.
  
  
• A: Like all other forms of marine life, sharks are part of the ocean environment and their attraction to reefs and other locations is driven by availability of food sources. It’s difficult to speculate how many sharks – if any – and what types will be drawn to the artificial reef. Atlantis created an artificial reef off Waikiki that is now the habitat for a wide variety of indigenous marine life. A few reef sharks are often seen – namely white tip and sandbar sharks – which are considered non-aggressive species. They are sometimes visible during the day and can usually be seen sleeping under the reef.
  
  Two good sources for additional information are Randy Honebrink, Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Education Coordinator for the Shark Task Force (587-0111), and/or Kim Holland, shark researcher with the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (236-7401/236-7443).
  
  
• A: Atlantis Adventures is the lead entity in creating this artificial reef. Others involved include government agencies like the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Coast Guard, and private companies like Lahaina Divers and Maui Dive Shop.
  
  
• A: No. The artificial reef is being funded entirely by Atlantis Adventures. No federal, state or county funds are involved.

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