reef

Log This Dive

Barren Arch

Barren Arch is a firm favourite with our team. We think it’s one of the best ways to experience the Poor Knights, a real journey into the islands' character. You enter through a narrow cut on the seaward side, the kelp-covered boulders at the entrance giving way to deeper water. Drop down to around 15 metres, and the light shifts dramatically. It’s here you’ll find walls absolutely plastered with sponges, bryozoans, and hydroids, a riot of texture and muted colour. Keep an eye out for the endemic Jason Mirabilis nudibranch, often tucked away in these crevices – we’ve had some cracking finds there. The real draw, though, is the sheer volume of fish. Schools of blue maomao and pink maomao create these living curtains of colour, often mixed with demoiselles and koheru. If you’re lucky, you might spot a bronze whaler cruising past the entrance, or a black stingray resting on the sandy bottom inside the arch. We like to drift through slowly, taking it all in, especially on a sunny afternoon when the light filters in. It’s a site that suits divers comfortable with a bit of a current and ready for a proper exploration.