New Zealand to pay Samoa $3.5m after its navy vessel ran aground and sank during reef survey

New Zealand will pay Samoa 10 million tala ($3.5m) in compensation after one of its navy vessels sank off the island nation's coast a year ago.

HMNZS Manawanui, a specialist dive and hydrographic ship, ran aground during a reef survey off southern Upolu in October 2024. The vessel later capsized and sank, although all 75 crew were rescued.

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement the payment follows a request from the Government of Samoa and recognises "the impact the sinking has had on local communities and the disruption it caused".

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The ship remains on the reef, but fuel, oil, weapons, ammunition and containers have been removed. Mr Peters said New Zealand was working closely with Samoa on next steps, with "absolute priorities" of minimising environmental harm and supporting the response.

In April, a government inquiry found the vessel was doomed by several errors, highlighting inadequate training of crew and poor leadership.

A final court of inquiry report said that the crew did not identify risks related to the survey task carried out by the ship and that the supervision was not adequate.

At the time of the sinking, a former Royal Navy officer who now serves in the Royal New Zealand Navy was praised for her decision to evacuate everyone aboard the stricken Manawanui. 

Commander Yvonne Gray gave the order for all hands to abandon ship when it ran aground and caught fire off the coast of Samoa – it then listed heavily and 12 hours later was entirely submerged.

Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding, said she made the "right decision" to evacuate the 75 people aboard, which "saved lives".

After the incident, "armchair admirals" were criticised for speculating on the cause of the sinking of the Royal New Zealand Navy vessel.

Social media in New Zealand was flooded with sexist remarks about "women drivers" and homophobic references to Cdr Gray's sexuality.

At the time, New Zealand's Defence Minister Judith Collins criticised a "deeply concerning misogynist narrative" that  "reared its head before our people had even made it home to New Zealand."

"The one thing that we already know did not cause it is the gender of the ship's captain, a woman with 30 years of naval experience who made the call to get her people to safety," she continued.

"I'm appalled to see the comments online from these armchair admirals, people who will never have to make decisions which mean life or death for their subordinates," she added.

Originally from Harrogate in Yorkshire, Commander Yvonne Gray took the helm of the RNZN's dive, hydrographic and salvage vessel in December 2022.