Diving the Mokohinau Islands

This article is intended to provide the already qualified Scuba diver with information which will help to plan dives in the waters of the Mokohinau Islands, off the east coast of North Island, New Zealand. Information is provided without prejudice, and is not guaranteed accurate or complete. Use it at your own risk.

Understand

The Mokohinaus are a small group of islands off the northeast coast of New Zealand's North Island, about 21 km (13 mi) northwest of Great Barrier Island and approximately 52 km (32 mi) east of Bream Head.

Most of them are managed by the Department of Conservation as nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. Landing is not allowed without a permit, with the exception of Burgess Island. They are being left to regenerate naturally, and are the home to some of New Zealand's smallest endangered species, such as the Mokohinau skink, the robust skink and the Mokohinau stag beetle, and several endangered plant species.

General topography

The islands are volcanic stacks at the edge of the continental shelf. Most of the shoreline is precipitous, and the cliffs often extend below the water to depths of up to 40 m The bay to the south east of the lighthouse has a sand bottom with good anchorage at about 10 m depth, which is well protected from winds and swell from the south through west to north, but is exposed from south east to north east.

Climate, weather and sea conditions

Marine weather area Brett (North Cape to Bream Head, east coast)

Dive sites

• Site name

Position: — 35°', E174°'

Get help

Emergency services

• . Police. 
• . Ambulance service 
• . Sea rescue 
• . Recompression chamber 
• . DAN hotline 

Get service

The Mokohinaus are always accessed by boat, either from the mainland on a day trip, or on live-aboard boats. Service listings are therefore restricted to operators of boats providing dive trips to the islands, even though they are based elsewhere

Get around

Access to all the dive sites is by boat, usually from the mainland.

Read

• Official website of the Department of Conservation