As we settled into our final house sit here in New Zealand we could not deny the fact that one of the top dive sites in the world was a 40 minutes drive from our house. Jacques Cousteau rated The Poor Knights as one of the top 10 dive sites in the world, who are we to pass that up.
We signed on with Dive Tutukaka for a day trip including two dives. Credit where credit is due, Dive Tutukaka were phenomenal to deal with. Emails were answered within minutes and the check in process was slick and efficient.
We headed out on time for the 45 minute trip to the Poor Knights Islands. Fortunately the waters were as calm as one can hope for in the ocean and the crew were entertaining and professional.
Aboard the Calypso there was plenty of room to suit up in our 3mil vests topped by our 7mil full wet suits. I have to admit that even though I am not a fan of cold water diving I was comfortable throughout both of our dives in the 20C water. (Yes, to me that is cold water diving)Enroute, and when we were returning, we were graced with visits from dozens of Common Dolphins. It is difficult to describe the beauty of these animals. They literally looked like they were playing around the boat. Seeing them was the cherry on top of a great day.
Before, after, and in between our dives we were toured around the islands. We were taken into the largest sea cave in the world on the boat. Quite an experience.
The Poor Knights Islands are beautiful. There are several arches that we went through on the boat, while being treated to an entertaining narrative of the their history by our very knowledgable Skipper, Jack.
As we dove we could see the benefits of this area having been a marine reserve since 1981. The lack of debris and the healthy look of the kelp and sea creatures was wonderful.
This gives you an idea of our route around the Poor Knights. The deviations to and from the islands were due to watching dolphins. Check out an overview of the Islands location here.
Here is a short video I put together of the diving. Enjoy.
0 comments on “Diving New Zealand”