HONOLULU -- The Hawaii Superferry said it will suspend its Kauai route following protests that turned the ship away on Monday.

Protesters on Kauai blocked the Hawaii Superferry from docking at Kauai on Monday night. Some of the protestors paddled out into Nawiliwili Harbor while others stayed on shore to chant and cheer.

(Watch the video story on the Sunday protest.)

The groups demanded to know the ferry's impact to the environment and said the only way to get their message across is by taking this kind of action.

"This is the only way the community can participate. They've been ignored through the entire process. The community has been demanding an environmental impact assessment at the very least and that has not been done. The community is asking them to follow the law and that has not been done," one protester said.

The U.S. Coast Guard monitored the protestors and eventually arrested one of them. Kauai police made several arrests. (Read: Some Question Coast Guard's Ability)

After several hours of waiting outside Nawiliwili Harbor, the ferry turned around and headed back to Oahu.

"It's a shame that they have to do this. We are all local people and Kauai lost out in what we were going to do there," passenger Joe McClosky said.

Superferry passengers arrived back in Honolulu at about midnight. They received full refunds, five free roundtrip tickets and hotel and transportation accommodations.

Superferry workers had to turn back passengers hoping to get on the ship on Tuesday.

The Superferry president said his investors will stand with the company through the downtime and expected customers would too.

"I think it is really solidifying support for us. So I am saddened by the current situation, but I am heartened by the future and the long term," Hawaii Superferry President John Garibaldi said.

The Superferry chief denied bringing this problem on him by pushing to go ahead without an environmental assessment and despite losing at the Supreme Court. The Superferry was ready so they went ahead, Garibaldi said.

Superferry service from Honolulu to Maui is on hold for now after a Maui judge granted a temporary restraining order to environmental groups pushing for the company to conduct and environmental impact study.

The judge would only allow stranded passengers to get back to their points of origin. (Read more about the ruling.)