There is that dead tree in the shallows of Otarawao (Sullivans) Bay near the mouth of Mahurangi Harbour. I usually don’t pay attention to it. It’s covered with silt, not much stuff lives on it except a few anemones and ascidians. Plus I saw a conger eel in its hollow trunk once. Last spring (end […]
My friend Konstantin had an important visitor last April. His brother Aleksandr came from Russia. As both of them are scuba divers, they did not want to miss the opportunity to dive together. New Zealand is famous for its landscapes and outdoor activities, but not so for its underwater environment (we need to change that), yet […]
I put this picture on sale somewhere with a comment it reminded me of those great kelp forests in California. It’s just that these weeds were only 3-4 metres tall, but the California forests can grow to about 20 metres. Somebody purchased the picture recently. I don’t know who he was, but the buyer was […]
Even after years of diving “Pacific weeds” I am still fascinated every time I immerse myself into those forests. Look at this picture. There is nothing special about it, yet it stirs my emotions. That feeling of freshness, of constant movement, of lightness with which the sturdy fronds float in the water. And if you […]
There are plenty of beautiful places like this one around Goat Island. Dense kelp forest on top of the rocks. Colourful invertebrate life on the walls and under overhangs. Reef fish going in and coming out of cracks. I’ve made this particular image in the area to the left from the island (when you look […]
Not a very usual sight, a large Cook’s turban shell (Cookia sulcata) climbing up brown kelp Ecklonia radiata. As far as I know, they usually crawl on rocks where they graze short algae. Perhaps they can find something tasty on the fronds as well. Often where you can find turban shells, you meet stingrays as well, […]