Horoirangi Marine Reserve
Situated 12km north of Nelson city, Horoirangi Marine Reserve extends northeast from Glenduan (The Glen) to Atatata Point on the southern headland of Cable bay, and offshore for one nautical mile. The marine reserve is a little over 5km long and cover 904 hectares. The reserve itself was created in 2006 with the assistance of the Nelson Underwater Club, in an area that was deemed unsuitable for any marine life.
In 2006 there wasn't a fish to be seen, the rocks were bare apart from the occasional small crayfish cowering under a rock. Since then the change has been dramatic, large numbers of crayfish have repopulated the coastline, while weed and sponges have covered the rocks, returning the habitat for the large variety of fish that now call the reserve home, our members have identified at least 33 different species of fish in the reserve.
Visibility is generally poor, at around five metres or less, however there are times that it can exceed 15 metres. The diving is generally shallow as the rocky reef system transitions to sand around 15 metres out from shore. The further from shore, the more the long shore current that forms the Boulder Bank will affect divers. Water temperatures drop to around 10 degrees in the winter and we have seen them as high as 22 degrees in the summer. Diving in the mornings is best here as the sea breeze tends to get up in the afternoon, making a rough trip home.
This is a great dive for anyone learning or gaining experience at diving, it is also a great dive for photographers.