ArticlesNew-Zealands-BEST-dive-sites

BEST dive sites in New Zealand 1. Poor Knights Marine Reserve Twenty three kilometers off New Zealand’s Northlands Coast and washed by warm currents from the north swept South from the Coral Sea, the Poor Knights Islands are an internationally renound dive site. It is consistently in the to 100 dives sites worldwide. Hence the reason it has to be number one here! A total Marine Reserve and Nature Reserve - and even pending World Heritage Site - the island originates from volcanic origins and now provide steep drop offs, walls, caves, arches and tunnels. All of these continue below water. The Poor Knights Islands are abundantly populated with a huge range of diverse and varied plant, mammal and fish life. The Poor Knights lay claim to a surprisingly large amount of Maori history, the world’s largest sea cave and only living dinosaur (Tuatara) and the largest insect. The spectacular and unique Poor Knights thoroughly deserve their protected status. Today the Poor Knights are considered one of the most important offshore marine and nature reserves in the country and are dreamed about by divers local and international! 2. The Alderman Islands The Aldermand Islands have been a protected and pest free environment since 1933. The Alderman Islands are home to Tuatara's and rare bird life like the Storm Petrels. The water temperature here reaches a very pleasant 22 degrees in summer. There are a myriad of small island, reefs and pins to explore quite simply the Aldermans hold a huge amount of diving potential, A few of the best kept secrets include Sugarloaf, a drop off which attracts great fish life and the Pins that are nerby and at 12m underwater are worth a look. The Rambles dive site at Ugly Point is fabulous at 21m with up to 12m rock formations above you. Len's Reef is a major feeding station starting 8m below the surface and dropping to 70m. Here you will see a huge variety of fish life, reef fish like the colorful parrot fish or keep an eye out for the large yellow tail king fish that patrol the area over summer! If you want to know more about diving around the d'Urville Islands then click here to view the local operator Tairua Dive. 3. Rainbow Warrior Once the proud flagship of Green Peace until it was bombed and sunk by French secret agents in 1985. The Rainbow Warrior was re floated and towed from Auckland harbor to its final resting place on the ocean floor in the Cavalli Islands. Laid to rest in 1987 it is now home to an abundance of marine life. Schools of Big eye fish and mackerel shelter within the ship while snapper, leather jackets and demoiselle roam the outside. Amazing colors are displayed by the colonies of jewel anemones scattered along the hull in perfect color unison they seem to create a vivid rainbow across the shops bow. Look into the depths for moray eels, scorpion fish and crayfish that are tucked into their own little piece of the wreck. With a maximum depth of 27 meters and the fact the boat is just over 40 meters in length there is plenty of time to explore the entire wreck in one dive. The Rainbow Warrior is a perfect place for photography and scenic diving. 4. The d’Urville Islands The d'Urville Islands and its neighbors offer some wonderful diving. D’Urville Island, separates Tasman Bay from Cook Straight and presents a spectacular backdrop. You need to be careful because currents can be strong, but that is what makes it special. These currents are strong and rich in nutrients. They sweep across the outer Marlborough sounds and through French Pass bringing a rich food supply to the areas marine life. The mid eastern shores of d’Urville Island are typical of sheltered areas of the outer Marlborough Sounds. Large areas of bull kelp dominate the shallower reef areas, with sponges, anemones, nudibranch, tube worms and other encrusting animals living comfortably at greater depths. The exposed northern shores are noted for their diverse and abundant marine life. Strong currents, clean water and rocky substrata combine, communities of encrusting animals such as brightly colored jewel anemones, massive sponges and delicate bryozoans can be found. Numerous fish species support these rich reef communities. It is not uncommon to be surrounded in a school of colorful butterfly perch or terakihi (typically deeper water fish). Species include blue cod, red blue and copper moki, sea perch, snapper, butterfish, trumpeter, and octopus. Crayfish, paua and kina are also present. Fish life varies from site to site, though generally the more exposed rocky locations support the greatest variety and numbers of fish. If you want to know more about diving around the d'Urville Islands then click here to view the local operator French Pass Sea Safaris 5. White Island White Island is an amazing place both above and below the surface. It is still active and on any given day plumes of steam can be seen rising from its depths. As you get closer the smell of sulfur can be over whelming at times. The volcano island is estimated to be about 200,000 years old. It was named White Island by Captain Cook in 1769, who was believed to be the first European to sight the island. Due to its distance offshore, and the unpredictable weather patterns the underwater world surrounding White Island has remained in almost pristine condition. Underwater vents remind you that you are still diving the waters surrounding a live volcano. White Island is New Zealand's only active marine volcano. The crystal clear deep blue waters that surround the island are legendary for huge numbers of fish. Blue and Pink Mao Mao, Sweep, Wrasse, Lord Howe Coralfish, King fish, Golden Snapper,Moray Eels, Stingrays are just some of the many species of fish that you will see. Not only the fish life is prolific and visibility is world class but there are few other places in the world where you dive and experience volcanic activity and volcanic terrain underwater. Due to the diversity in topography a wide range of dive sites are available, ranging from sites suitable for beginners through to the experienced. Return to Articles Page