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bay of islands
This
magnificent bay of 50 islands and innumerable reefs is home to a
multitude of marine life including common and bottlenose
dolphins, stingrays, manta rays, octopus, moray eels and many
fish species.
The Bay has a huge variety of undersea features such as deep
canyons, large kelp forests, volcanic reefs, caves and pinnacles.
And it is all very accessible. Dive shops in Paihia and Kerikeri
can book you on charter trips to the top scuba diving spots
listed below.
Purerua Peninsula
An area of spectacular volcanic rock formations. Black Rocks,
Lion Rock, The Needles and Cape Wiwiki offer countless caves,
tunnels, canyons, caves, guts and drop-offs to explore in
visibility that varies from 5-30m.
Cape Brett
This striking headland includes the famous Hole in the Rock
tunnel, Cathedral Cave on Piercy Island and the dramatic
Deepwater Cove. Kingfish, kahawai, trevally, and maomao cruise
the sheer rock faces, which plunge to 37m in places. Tropical
species like flying fish, sunfish, marlin and mako sharks can be
seen in summer. Bird Rock is a top spot for sighting large
pelagic fish like marlin and sharks but fast currents can be a
problem.
Outer Islands
Red Head Island, 13km from Russell has good diving in deep
channels with rugged outcrops alive with reef fish and often
crayfish (lobsters). Hope Reef (2-30m) often has clear water and
prolific marine life. White Reef, just one hour by boat from
Paihia has lovely marine life, good visibility where the depth
ranges from 2-25m and is ideal for both snorkelling and scuba
diving. Urupukapuka Island has some superb sheltered leads and
passages for both diving and snorkelling. Camping is permitted on
the island. Dolphins can sometimes be seen frolicking off the
east coast of Urupukapuka.
Black Rocks
On the north west side of the Bay is an interesting 10m deep
lagoon, which offers marvellous snorkelling. The seaward cliffs
descend to 22m revealing caves packed with baitfish darting in
and out of the openings. Expect occasional visits from predators
such as kingfish, kahawai and snapper.
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