By sea 40km north east from Tauranga. Diverse underwater terrain. Pristine waters. Excellent marine life. Seafloor very interesting with caves and dropoffs.
Best areas - Western Bay, Cathedral Bay, Bait Pond, Crater Bay. Two popular eefs in the area are Tahua Reef and Twenty Fathom Reef. Excellent marine life. Good photography. Ramp.
The marine reserve was established in January 1993. It covers about three square nautical miles at the northern end of the island and extends from mean high water springs mark to one nautical mile offshore.
The reserve includes about 5km of coastline from Tumutu Point east to Tauranganui Point. Within the marine reserve a mixed weed zone occurs from low tide mark to depths of 6-9m. Rock girdles are the most common seaweeds, but a variety of other brown, red and green species also characterises the zone.
Scattered amoungst these weeds and beyond the depth limits of the zone there are often dense concentrations of sea urchins or kina. These graze on seaweeds and so reduce some areas to the appearance of bare rock. From about 3-30m paddleweed kelp forms dense forests wherever rock bottoms are present. Beneath these canopies there may be other smaller algae species in addition to bushy or encrusting animals such as hydroids, bryozoans, sponges, ascidians, soft corals and anemones.
Cup corals, extensive areas of lace coral and beds of black coral also occur in these deeper areas of water. Other subtidal animals include large black spiny sea urchins, chitons, snails and limpets, feather stars, brittle stars, starfish, sea cucumbers, rock lobsters and crabs.
Over 60 species of fish are known from the area. Common species in shallow rock areas include black angelfish, leatherjackets, hiwihiwi, marblefish, paketi, branded wrasse and red moki. Two spot demosoilles, sweep and blue maomao occur widely and red mullet or goatfish are common in sandy areas.
Moray eels and stingrays are seen in parts and schools of koheru, kingfish, travelly, and pink maomao often congregate near pinnacles and deep water dropoffs.
Subtropical species sometimes seen include Lord Howe coralfish, long finned boarfish, clown toado and crimson cleanerfish.
