Video: Armada of Surfers Turns Back Superferry

It's been anything but smooth sailing for the Hawaii Superferry since its launch on Sunday. Beset by legal challenges and delayed by a flotilla of protesters, the inter-island ferry has now suspended service indefinitely.

Hawaii Superferry Inc., the company that operates the 350-foot Alakai, suspended service Tuesday after the Coast Guard said it could not assure safe passage of the 350-foot catamaran.

On Monday, protesters on surfboards and canoes blocked the entrance to Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauai, forcing the ferry to return to Honolulu despite an 85-foot Coast Guard cutter attempting to clear a path.  Eleven people were arrested during the protest. 

Gov. Linda Lingle, who has been a supporter of the ferry, requested the service be suspended because of public safety concerns.    

Environmentalists are concerned that the ferry could endanger whales, spread invasive species, and damage the pristine waters surrounding the Hawaiian archipelago.

The service is the first of its kind in Hawaii, where residents and tourists had previously traveled island to island via local airlines.  —Ryan Krogh