MV Rena & Astrolabe Reef

It was described as the worst maritime environmental disaster in New Zealand, and one of the world’s most complex clean-ups. Access to Astrolabe Reef / Otaiti has now been restored for vessels under 500 tonnes by the Bay of Plenty Harbour Master. This is after more than four and a half years of salvage and clean-up operations following the grounding of the MV Rena.

A lot of the old wreck has now gone and much of her has been re-colonised by shoals of fish and marine life. She is definitely a spectacular dive with plenty of swim through’s and areas to explore but the Rena represents a difficult dive. This is a charter we offer to experienced divers with a minimum of advanced or deep specialty certifications. Depths drop very sharply to 40m+ and with the possibility of strong currents the Rena can be challenging.

Astrolabe Reef is near Motiti Island, off the Bay of Plenty coast in New Zealand. The reef, which breaks the water surface at low tide, is a renowned scuba diving spot that drops off to over 40 metres (121 ft) in different parts. The reef was named by Jules Dumont d’Urville after his ship Astrolabe, when it nearly ran aground there on 16 February 1827.

The reef itself is an excellent dive site both full of life and exciting to dive. There is no shelter from the elements here and the journey can get extremely rough with only slight winds.

For further information on the dive site, please visit the website www.AstrolabeReef.co.nz where you can find detailed information about is location and planned routes.

This 2 day dive tour includes 4 x tank dives over 2 days with full gear hire. Due to the location of the wreck this is a seasonal dive only & divers must be certified to a minimum of advanced diver or hold a deep specialty certification.

Accommodation can be arranged for you at an additional cost.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Please read our terms & conditions found on our website page, frequently asked questions before booking: https://nzdiving.co.nz/faq/

Sometimes our activities may have to be rescheduled due to situations outside of our control, such as poor weather. Please note we reschedule in such situations, as described in our terms and conditions.

Please note that NZ Diving will offer alternate dates if conditions do not allow for safe travel or if minimum numbers are not met. In case of a cancellation we will reschedule the charter, we can put you on a different dive charter, you can use the amount paid as credit, transfer the credit to a different person or help with a letter for your travel insurance. Overseas participants are advised to carry travel insurance in case rescheduling is unsuitable.

All participants must be of good health and complete a medical declaration. This is available on our website: https://nzdiving.co.nz/faq/

To join one of our charters, you must have dived within the last 12 months – contact us if you need a refresher.

All participants must be diving certified to dive on a charter or undergoing a diving course with New Zealand Diving Limited.

All participants must be able to swim a minimum of 200m, unassisted.