Southern Arch
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
Southern Arch is part of the Poor Knights Islands marine reserve area, off Archway Island near Matapouri on the Northland coast of New Zealand's North Island. The reserve, formed from volcanic rock, is known for its underwater arches and tunnels carved into the island edges, reachable by boat from the Tutukaka coast. The site reaches a maximum depth of around 50 metres and is rated technical. Divers passing through the archway deal with low light conditions inside it, along with strong current and boat traffic overhead, and mola mola have been spotted in the area.
AI overviewMarine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
New Zealand DemoiselleChromis dispilaReported here · unconfirmed
Cook's ScorpionfishScorpaena cardinalisReported here · unconfirmed
Eastern King WrasseCoris sandeyeriReported here · unconfirmed
Clown DorisCeratosoma amoenumReported here · unconfirmed
Eastern PigfishBodianus unimaculatusReported here · unconfirmed
New Zealand Black AngelfishParma alboscapularisReported here · unconfirmed- Yellowtail KingfishSeriola lalandiReported here · unconfirmed
Grey MorayGymnothorax nubilusReported here · unconfirmed
Mola mola (ocean sunfish)Mola mola (ocean sunfish)Reported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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