Welcome aboard
The
diving at the Poor Knights is excellent. For many years
they have been recognized as New Zealand’s top scuba diving location, and were
considered by Jacques Cousteau to be one of the top scuba dive sites of the
world. There is greater diversity of underwater habitats and wildlife
than elsewhere around New Zealand due to a combination of adjacent deep water,
near vertical underwater cliffs, shallow sheltered bays, arches, caves and
tunnels bathed by the warm East Auckland current. This has introduced
subtropical species such as Spotted Black, Toadstool and Gold Ribbon groupers;
Lord Howe Island Coral Fish and Banded Coral Shrimp, all of which have become
established. Rare arrivals have included Lionfish, Trumpet Fish, Long-nosed
Butterfly Fish and occasional Hawksbill Turtles. Seen on most dives are many
Moray eels (six species occur), Rays (four species) and schools of many other
species including Kingfish up to 40kg.
The caves and arches are home to demoiselles and both pink and blue maomao. On
the walls there are colorful sponges, anemones, gorgonian soft corals,
bryozoans and tunicates; all of these, together with beautiful nudibranchs
make these NZ islands an underwater photographers paradise.