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Since Diving was on my list during my visit to New Zealand. Visited this place- it is absolutely beautiful. Arranged my dive program with Dive Tutukaka, The water is clean and blue, got a glimpse of dolphins on our way to the dive site. The marine life is rich. The corals and plankton are abundant in nature and absolutely stunning to watch the fishes and turtles too. If you are a diver, you must definitely visit this island for a memorable experience. …
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Date of experience: April 2019
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+1
We visited this area on a cruise and had a great time. The scenery was beautiful. We were lucky and saw dolphins... The Hole in the Rock was fantastic to see...
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Date of experience: February 2020
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Stunning "Wow" place to visit with "The Perfect Day" daily cruise boat. The water was colder than I expected but seeing all the fish while snorkeling made it all worth while. The marine reserve is 22 kms off shore, with caves, tunnels and arches which are truly exceptional. A fabulous place to visit and experience even as a resident of NZ. Unfortunately I got very sea-sick so I did not have such a good experience, however, the staff were brilliant and attentive. A truly memorable experience.…
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Date of experience: January 2020
1 Helpful vote
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_starbabyf4g wrote a review Jan 2020
Washington DC, District of Columbia71 contributions39 helpful votes
We visited on the Perfect Day, which is a boat that visits daily. The island itself is a sanctuary and is historically Tapu according to Maori traditions, so landfall is not an option. The snorkeling area is well sheltered, relatively shallow, and teeming with marine life. Some caution is warranted depending on the nature of the surf - there can be powerful surges in some of the sea caves. Ask the boat captains - they know the area. There are diving opportunities but I can say (as a long-time diver) that 80% of what you want to see can be seen with a mask and snorkel. The divers go deeper, obviously; there is a steep wall-like decent in the sheltered cove. We saw sea turtles, rays, and too many fish to count. Much of the cove is entirely suitable for novice swimmers who are comfortable not touching the bottom (which is not really an option). Note that this can be done without a wetsuit in summer - but not for long. I used a 3/4mm wetsuit, no hood, full-foot fins, and gloves. The world's largest sea cave is nearby - most boat captains will take you in for a quick look.…
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Date of experience: December 2019
4 Helpful votes
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Great experience! Wide variety of fish, they’re not scared at all, rather inquisitive. Good visibility. Water colder than expected, even in summer so remember full wet suits!
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Date of experience: March 2019
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