scuba dive the Poor Knights Islands New Zealand with
POOR KNIGHTS ISLANDS , TUTUKAKA , NORTHLAND , NEW ZEALAND
Northern Arch
A
vertical crack running down a prominent point of northern Tawhiti Rahi, it is
home to large schools of demoiselles, red snapper, pink and blue mao mao and
trevally. Stunning encrusting life on the walls include gorgonian soft corals,
bryozoans with their attendant grazing nudibranchs, hydroids and colourful
anemones.
The
feature of this site though, are the stingrays that congregate here every year,
from December to March. On any one dive in that period, it is not uncommon to
see upwards of 100 shorttailed rays, hovering, and then gliding up and down the
walls, riding the gentle currents. They come here to find a mate and breed, then
depart for the harbours of northern New Zealand.
Of
course, like every site at the ‘Knights’, this area has more to offer than
the arch itself, from the airbubble cave on the northern side, to yellow banded
cave of the south, the deep swimthroughs for experienced divers, the masses of
snapper and pink mao mao off the point; there is rich colour everywhere…..But
the Rays!
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