PACIFIC
Leigh · Goat Island Marine Reserve
- New Zealand
- All levels
- January - December
Plan your dive
- Experience level
- All levels
- Depth guide
- Shallow shore reefs; deeper routes outside the bay
- When to go
- January - December
- Site type
- Kelp & Rocky Reef
Featured wildlife
- Blue maomao
About this dive site
Snapper and blue maomao among rocky reefs and seaweed forests near Auckland.
Te Hāwere-a-Maki / Goat Island shelters the popular shore-entry area of Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve near Leigh. Rock, sand and kelp habitats offer close views of resident fish without collecting or feeding them. Beginners should stay near shore with a suitable guide or buddy. Easterly swell, wind and hidden currents can make the bay unsafe, so check DOC’s conditions advice and the current reserve boundaries before entering.
Most trips target January - December, but wind, swell and current still decide the day's site. Calendar peak is January - December, but skippers still move sites when wind, swell or current change. Book with a crew that knows Leigh day to day, not just the map pin.