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HMNZS Manawanui - Diving Support Vessel

HMNZS Manawanui sank off the southern coast of Upolu, Samoa on the 5th of October 2024. The sinking was the first loss of a New Zealand navy vessel since World War II. HMNZS Manawanui, Royal New Zealand Navy's specialist dive and hydrographic vessel, was the name of several ships in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), typically serving in support and specialist roles. HMNZS Manawanui was the fourth ship to carry that name and provides our Navy with the ability to conduct a range of specialist diving, salvage and hydrography tasks around New Zealand and across the South West Pacific.

The current HMNZS Manawanui was a multi-role dive and hydrographic vessel, launched in 2003 and commissioned into the RNZN in 2019. HMNZS MANAWANUI was originally the STAR PERSEUS, built as a diving support vessel for North Sea oil rig operations. She was renamed and commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) in 1988. MANAWANUI has a triple lock recompression chamber, a crane with 13 tonne lifting capacity, wet diving bell and a small engineering workshop. She also has limited deck cargo carrying capacity. She plays an important role in supporting New Zealand’s maritime security, including tasks like underwater surveys, search and rescue operations, and salvage missions. This vessel was equipped with state-of-the-art sonar systems and diving support equipment, enabling it to carry out a range of missions, from supporting naval divers to mapping the ocean floor. The ship has a range of capabilities that allow it to assist in disaster relief operations and conduct underwater repairs, making it a highly versatile asset in the fleet.

HMNZS Manawanui provides our Navy with a modern and capable platform for diving and hydrographic specialists to embark and conduct specialised operations. Missions that the ship enables include coastal and harbour survey, underwater explosive disposal, underwater search and recovery, and limited mine countermeasures. HMNZS Manawanui was acquired to close the capability gap created with the decommissioning of the survey ship HMNZS Resolution in 2012 and the dive tender HMNZS Manawanui in early 2018. The ship was purchased by the Ministry of Defence in 2018 and entered service with the Royal New Zealand Navy in 2019.

Manawanui's role supports our operations across the maritime domain. The ship can survey harbours and approaches prior to larger support ships landing support equipment and personnel whether for combat or disaster relief. It can support the ongoing mission to eradicate explosive remnants of war in the South Pacific. And it can undertake salvage operations to find and recover submerged objects. Contributing towards New Zealand’s maritime presence in the region, Manawanui was also capable of supporting government agencies including the New Zealand Police, Customs, Ministry for Primary Industries, and Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management.

Crew and passengers of Royal New Zealand Navy Ship HMNZS Manawanui were rescued in the early hours of the morning on Sunday 06 October 2024 in Samoa after the vessel was grounded off the southern coast of Upolu, Samoa. The incident occurred on Saturday evening while conducting a hydrographic survey 1 nautical mile from shore. The 75 crew and passengers began evacuating into lifeboats at 7.52 pm on Saturday 5 October.

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) worked closely with the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ) who led the rescue effort. Numerous vessels responded to provide assistance, and a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon was also deployed to assist. Rescuers battled currents and winds that were pushing the life rafts and sea boats toward the reefs, and swells made the rescue effort particularly challenging.

"We are very grateful for the assistance of everyone involved, from RCCNZ who coordinated rescue efforts, to the vessels which responded and took our crew and passengers from Manawanui to safety," Maritime Component Commander Commodore Shane Arndell said. Those on board the life boats and sea boats from HMNZS Manawanui were transferred to vessels that responded to the rescue call and were transported ashore.

The exact cause of the grounding was unknown and would need further investigation. At 6.40am Sunday, the ship was listing heavily and smoke was visible from the ship. At 9.00am it was known to have capsized and was below the surface. The NZDF was working with authorities to understand the implications and minimise the environmental impacts. Support was provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Samoan authorities to the crew and passengers from Manawanui and they are being accommodated in Samoa. The NZDF will be sending aircraft to Samoa to bring them back to New Zealand.

This was HMNZS Manawanui’s third deployment to the South West Pacific this year. The ship had a series of activities scheduled including in the Kermadec Islands, Samoa, Tokelau and Niue. They sailed from Devonport on 28 September and were due to return home on 1 November.

New Zealand’s defence chief hit out at “misogynistic” criticism directed at the female captain of a navy ship that ran aground and sank off the coast of Samoa. New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins said on 10 Oct 2024 that “armchair admirals” were promoting the false narrative that the sinking of the vessel was due to the captain’s gender. “I thought, seriously, in 2024 – what the hell is going on here with people who are sitting there in their armchair operating a keyboard making comments about people that they do not know, about an area they do not know, and they are just vile,” Collins told reporters. "Where’s a bit of decency?” Collins said women in uniform had been abused in the street following the loss of the vessel.