Magic Wall, Poor Knights Islands
Magic Wall at the Poor Knights is one of the go to dive sites for the macro divers looking for nudibranchs. From late winter to early spring the Clown Nudibranchs start to appear and then in spring all sorts of other nudibranchs start to emerge.
Suitable for Open Water divers as the wall is at 18m and shallower, but venture the wrong way and you can easily find deeper water towards Ngaio Rock and reef.
Diver Level – Open Water and above.
Depth to 18m om the wall.
Great for all divers, but with so much growth on the wall make sure you can back fin away from the wall and have good buoyancy and fin control as it doesn’t take much to knock the residents from their home.
This really is nudibranch central, but there are plenty of fish too. Mosiac Moray Eels make the cracks their home. Be ready to be photo bombed by Sandiggers Wrasse and keep an eye out into the blue as the schooling fish swim by to take a look or use you to hide from the patrolling kingfish.
The Labrid Channel can have some strong currents flowing through, so do not get caught out. Stay close. to the reef to avoid any current but watch your fins and the wash from your fins. A great place to use your frog kick and modified frog kick so not to disturb the locals.
If you find the sand line then you are going away from the wall and towards deeper water. Turn back towards the wall. There is a cool but short swim through on the sand line, but it is best avoided to stop any damage to the fans and sponges and just admire it from the outside.
Be aware that some of the wall is slightly overhanging. So if your are creating bubbles as an open circuit scuba diver, these bubbles can drastically effect the fans and critters living on the wall in a negative way, so please stay clear of the overhangs.
Follow the reef back into the Labrid Channel and explore the boulders during your safety stop.
When you come up, listen out for boats as this can be a very popular spot.
Tutukaka Coastguard VHF Channel 62
Distress & Emergency VHF channel 16 or phone 111
Diver Emergency Service (DES) 0800 4 337 111
The Diver Emergency Service (DES) is a 24 hour, 7 days a week hotline for advice and treatment of all diving related incidents, accidents or injuries, including the emergency management of decompression illness.
