Toxic killer lurking in NZ waters

4:00AM Tuesday Jan 06, 2009
A poisonous sea creature with toxin potent enough to kill someone in 20 minutes has been spotted in the waters off Northland.

Cone shell - posted with permission from Alan Morrison.
Dive instructor Alan Morrison photographed the carnivorous cone shell while diving at Deep Water Cove in the Bay of Islands.
The marine snails [...]

MFish reminds recreational fishers not to sell, barter or trade their catch

The Ministry of Fisheries is reminding the public that selling, bartering or trading recreational catch is illegal. Recreational fishers who are caught selling, bartering or trading their catch are at risk of having their assets seized (such as their car, boat or trailer) and receiving a fine of up to $250,000 or even imprisonment.

“We do [...]

December / January Dive New Zealand magazine out now

The December / January issue of Dive New Zealand magazine is out in shops now. Dive New Zealand Magazine has features on diving in New Zealand and abroad. It is marketed overseas as Dive Pacific.

Seafanz Photo Competition - NOT AGAIN! Advanced Highly Commended goes to…Ali Perkins. Entry to this photo competition is free. Entries for [...]

White Island

White Island Trip Report by Ali Perkins
How do you sum up eleven dives over three days for a trip report? Quite simply, you can’t. So instead, I thought I’d share with you a moment from one of my favourite dives of the trip, some random statistics from my dive computer, and of course, a selection [...]

Wreck off Whangaparoa

Trip Report by Stan Woodhouse
Monday morning began as Auckland mornings often do; with thundering rain. This clichéd dawn of the week stung all the more for the fact the University semester was over and another day of freedom was being lost to the temperamental Auckland weather. Ignoring gale warnings and driving sleet, Dan, Tom and [...]

Inside NZ: Under the sea

4:00AM Wednesday Nov 19, 2008
Gillian Torckler
For many New Zealanders, summer is defined by unveiling the barbecue packed away on a corner of the deck, followed by a game of beach rugby or cricket while fresh scallops and crayfish sizzle on the coals.

The Northern Arch, near the Poor Knights Islands, is a great dive spot. Photo [...]

Mollusc mania at Jones Bay

Muck Diving Jones Bay (Part VIII) by Ali Perkins
Monday 27 October 2008
Sometimes you have to resort to desperate measures to entice people out diving. On this occasion it was the opportunity to gather scallops at Jones Bay that drew out Mike, Kathryn, David, Leah and Danielle. Cameron and Simon, like me, were there for the [...]

Murky Matheson Bay

Muck Diving Matheson Bay (Part VII) by Ali Perkins
Sunday 19 October 2008

A pair of Common triplefins (Forsterygion lapillum) by Ali Perkins.
I wasn’t sure how many people were coming so it was a relief when people arrived for a dive at Matheson Bay on Sunday. Along for the ride were Mike, Kathryn, Matt, Tom, Alan, Hayley, [...]

Rite of passage

Muck diving in Lake Pupuke (Part VI) by Ali Perkins
Sunday 12 October 2008

Many people who have learnt to scuba dive in Auckland are familiar with Lake Pupuke, because that’s where they did their open water dives. I hadn’t experienced Pupuke, but having heard the stories from other divers, I was keen to. Kathryn suggested we [...]

Pushing through the plankton

Bay of Islands Trip Report - 04 October 2008 - By Ali Perkins

Dolphins were spotted on the boat ride out to dive the Canterbury - by Mike Batey.
It strikes without fail every year. As New Zealand crawls out of winter, the water warms up, triggering an explosion of planktonic growth, the reproduction of small plants [...]