Middle Arch

Middle Arch is a wall dive within the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve, New Zealand, entered by boat. It is a natural archway, with the arch bottom typically at 14 to 18 m (46 to 59 ft). Past the arch, the seafloor slopes to depths over 30 m (100 ft) at both the northern and southern ends, and the maximum depth is about 40 m (131 ft).

The surrounding reefs and slopes extend deeper, reaching over 30 m just 40 m (130 ft) from the walls at the southern anchorages. Divers pass through bouldery terrain with bold rock formations and encrusting life, and light filtering through the arch makes the passage a visual highlight.

Cave. Near the southwestern entrance is a cave known locally as Bernie's Cave, which has an air pocket. Its floor is about 12 m (39 ft) deep and its ceiling about 8 m (26 ft). Inside there are schools of porae, perch and mado, plus moray eels.