Dive Report Tāwaharanui

26 March 2023
Waves 0.5-1m
High Tide 12:30pm
No current
No waves at depth
Vis 6m or so

I didn't get the Kayak into the water until nearly 12pm (many trips carrying stuff from carpark)
Paddled to the eastern arm of Anchor Bay, I could see the bottom to about 8m. Found a spot I thought was safe to anchor, tried to get off the reef but my anchor was in the Ecklonia at 10m.

I descended the anchor line to 10m to find a stunning Ecklonia forest in great condition. No fish on the way down for some reason, but 20 seconds later I saw a small snapper, then a leather jacket, and I was surrounded by jack mackerel (a large school). Medium sized trevally hang back in the distance while a kingfish cruised by. Vis was about 6m.

I looked around the reef a bit, heading North (deeper). I check three crevices and only found one crayfish. I was very pleased to find four Yellow-and-black triplefins in one spot. On the reef I saw many goatfish, a few common triplefins, one masked triplefin, a few variable triplefins, a large school of small juvenile snapper, a school of sweep, a large school of larger juvenile snapper, and a handful of red moki and spotty. I did not see any 'landable' snapper here. By far the most numerous fish were the jack mackerel which came in at least three size classes / schools. It was enjoyable to watch the schools collide in front of me. Still no mediterranean fanworm found.

I followed a valley which turned to rubble and opened up into something between shell hash and sand at around 16m. To warm up I powered out over it, heading North. There were cool mounds in the shell, I'd love to know what made them. I then carried on North for another 30m where there was a dramatic switch to mud / sand. Both substrates were covered in fine algae / biofilm which had an interesting pattern. I enjoyed watching feather duster worms retract into the sediment as I swam by, I stuffed up a photo of a snake eel which I accidentally scared back into it's hole and did not have time to wait for it to come back out.

Posted on March 27, 2023 08:45 PM by shaun-lee shaun-lee

Observations

Photos / Sounds

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:55 PM NZDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:48 PM NZDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:56 PM NZDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 01:09 PM NZDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 01:03 PM NZDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Cart-Rut Shell (Dicathais orbita)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:51 PM NZDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Southern Rock Lobster (Jasus edwardsii)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:51 PM NZDT

Description

Only one seen

Photos / Sounds

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 01:20 PM NZDT

Description

Many

Photos / Sounds

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 01:24 PM NZDT

Description

Many

Photos / Sounds

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 01:21 PM NZDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:36 PM NZDT

Description

A few

Photos / Sounds

What

Goatfish (Upeneichthys porosus)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:54 PM NZDT

Description

Many

Photos / Sounds

What

Grey Massive Sponge (Ecionemia alata)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:39 PM NZDT

Description

A few

Photos / Sounds

What

Green Algae (Phylum Chlorophyta)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 01:20 PM NZDT

Description

This observation is for the film of algae that covered both shell and sand / mud substrates

Photos / Sounds

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 01:23 PM NZDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Indo-Pacific Comb Star (Astropecten polyacanthus)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 01:20 PM NZDT

Description

Just one seen

Photos / Sounds

What

Yellowtail Scad (Trachurus novaezelandiae)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:43 PM NZDT

Description

Abundant, many schools in different size classes

Photos / Sounds

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:47 PM NZDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola lalandi)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:43 PM NZDT

Description

Just one

Photos / Sounds

What

Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 01:11 PM NZDT

Description

I'd love to know what makes these mounds

Photos / Sounds

What

Velvet Leatherjacket (Meuschenia scabra)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:52 PM NZDT

Description

A few

Photos / Sounds

What

Banded Morwong (Chirodactylus spectabilis)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:44 PM NZDT

Photos / Sounds

What

New Zealand Big Eye (Pempheris adspersa)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:45 PM NZDT

Description

Just in one spot

Photos / Sounds

What

Silver Sweep (Scorpis lineolata)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:51 PM NZDT

Description

A few schools

Photos / Sounds

What

Slender Roughy (Optivus elongatus)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 01:02 PM NZDT

Description

Two in one spot

Photos / Sounds

What

Giant Snake Eel (Ophisurus serpens)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 01:25 PM NZDT

Description

Only one seen, I stuffed up the photo

Photos / Sounds

What

Australasian Snapper (Chrysophrys auratus)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:37 PM NZDT

Description

Many but all juveniles, many smaller than this and in schools

Photos / Sounds

What

Spengler's Trumpet Snail (Cabestana spengleri)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:46 PM NZDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 01:10 PM NZDT

Description

Two

Photos / Sounds

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:58 PM NZDT

Description

Just one seen, looked unfamiliar

Photos / Sounds

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:48 PM NZDT

Description

A few

Photos / Sounds

What

Variable Triplefin (Forsterygion varium)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:40 PM NZDT

Description

A few

Photos / Sounds

What

Yellow-and-black Triplefin (Forsterygion flavonigrum)

Observer

shaun-lee

Date

March 27, 2023 12:50 PM NZDT

Description

Four in one spot

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