2/27/26 – HELICOPTER DIVE OPERATOR FINED FOR UNAUTHORIZED COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY

HELICOPTER DIVE OPERATOR FINED FOR UNAUTHORIZED COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY

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HONOLULU - The Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) voted today to impose administrative fines totaling $10,000 against Trident Adventures LLC for unauthorized commercial activities within the ocean waters of Shark's Cove, Three Tables and Waimea Bay, on Oʻahu. All three areas are part of the Pūpūkea Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD) and also the North Shore Oʻahu Ocean Recreation Management Area (ORMA).

The BLNR determined that unpermitted operations occurred on June 9 and June 19, 2025, when customers were flown in by helicopter and dropped into the nearshore waters of Shark's Cove before engaging in snorkel or SCUBA activities.

While Trident Adventures holds a commercial use permit (CUP) from the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation for operations on the south and west shores of Oʻahu, the CUP did not authorize commercial activity on the North Shore.

On June 9, 2025, a DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) officer observed a helicopter with Trident Adventures branding hovering approximately 10 feet above the water within the Pūpūkea MLCD. Four individuals were then observed jumping from the helicopter into the ocean. On June 19, 2025, a similar incident was reported to DOCARE and documented with photographs. Witnesses reported that the helicopter's low-altitude hovering created significant turbulence, affecting nearby ocean users.

The BLNR determined that each occurrence constituted a separate violation of Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules for unpermitted commercial activity in state ocean waters and imposed the maximum fine of $5,000 for each of the two instances.

The Pūpūkea MLCD, established in 1983 to protect marine life to the greatest extent possible, is one of Hawaiʻi's most heavily visited nearshore marine areas. Its overlapping designation as an ORMA is also intended to manage commercial and recreational ocean use, reduce user conflicts and enhance public safety on the water.

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RESOURCES

(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)

Photographs - Pūpūkea: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/tr761ezdtpdux1lp1gfly/AJFxu8IQmzvGvedMzi7_1HM?rlkey=9a61bn7tca5d9b33sgq9fdzfj&st=f2q6xp26&dl=0

Media Contact:

Patti Jette

Communications Specialist

State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources

E-mail: [email protected]