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Log This Dive

Whangarei Heads Old Women

Whangarei Heads Old Women might sound a bit like a local pub, but trust us, it’s a spot worth the boat ride. We’re only talking 13 metres deep here, so it’s a brilliant one for extending your bottom time, especially if you’re into the macro stuff. Picture a sloping kelp forest, thick and swaying in the subtle surge, dropping onto a sandy bottom. There are these cool rocky pinnacles here, some with swim-throughs that are just begging to be explored. Sunlight filters down through the kelp canopy, dappling the rock walls. Keep an eye out for the crumb-of-bread sponge, its texture really stands out against the darker rock. Our favourite trick here is to hug the sand line – that’s where you’ll start seeing some of the bigger fish like snapper and schools of parore moving through. The visibility averages around seven metres, so it's not always gin-clear, but that just adds to the atmospheric feel of exploring a kelp forest. It's a classic Poor Knights dive, ideal for photographers wanting to slow down and find the details, or anyone who just loves the feeling of being immersed in a healthy, vibrant ecosystem.