Blue Mao Mao Arch is a dive location at the Poor Knights Islands, off the far north coast of New Zealand’s North Island. The arch is named after the dense shoals of Blue Maomao, a sea bass, that flock through the site.
On some tides, these bright blue fish, Scorpis violacea, are so abundant that it is hard to spot other divers in the arch. There are also pink maomao in this region. You can watch them in this video.
The arch is shallow and has a cathedral-like appearance with kelp-covered boulders on the outside where the sea floor drops down to 15 meters.
The subtropical reefs off the Poor Knights have been protected as a marine reserve since 1981 and were rated as one of the world’s top dive sites by Jacques Cousteau.
These islands are the eroded remains of volcanoes that last erupted around 11 million years ago.
Here, the waters are subject to a warm subtropical current that increases the marine biodiversity with some tropical species found here, like Lord Howe coral fish, which are seldom seen elsewhere in New Zealand.
Matthew Oldfield is a freelance photographer based in Bali, Indonesia, specializing in editorial and documentary images from both above and below the waves. He works primarily with charities, NGO’s, and other organizations working to conserve the environment, endangered species, and disappearing cultures.
|
Please send feedback to qa.science@epochtimes.com |
