reef

Log This Dive

SOUTH EAST CORNER

The South East Corner of Great Mercury Island is a commitment, we’ll grant you that. It’s exposed, often bumpy on the surface, but when the weather gives you a window, it’s absolutely worth the effort. The reef here is a long, kelp-fringed wall dropping to around 18 metres, often with white sand channels cutting through the rock. We love drifting along, looking for the local specialties like New Zealand Scaly-headed Triplefins flitting among the kelp, or spotting a shy Crested Blenny peeking from a crevice. This site really comes alive when the bigger stuff cruises by. We’ve had incredible encounters with schools of butterfly perch, so dense they obscure the reef, and the chance of seeing a New Zealand Draughtboard Shark tucked into an overhang is always high. Keep an eye on the blue too; Orcas are known to frequent these waters, and seeing them underwater is an experience you won't soon forget. It’s a site for divers who appreciate a bit of adventure and the raw, untamed beauty of New Zealand's coastline, and who don't mind waiting for that perfect weather window.