Due to the return back to Te Anau over the pass at altitude, a relatively short and shallow second dive in the sound (strictly a fiord). A layer of colder, tannin-stained fresh water sits on top of the salt water and produces a hazy, shimmering effect which reduces visibility.
This reduced visibility allows flora/fauna that would normally inhabit depths greater than recreational diving limits to be seen at shallower depths.
The star of the show is the lovely black coral (Antipatharia) which here is a feathery white – only the skeleton is black! There is a good number of large specimens.
Other deep water species are saucer sponges and large tube anemones – a superb if cold dive in a world heritage site
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