New Zealand: Scuba diving worth crossing the world for

Booming Tutukaka diving business Dive! Tutukaka won the Qualmark Tourism Mark of Quality at the New Zealand Tourism Association annual awards, held in Auckland New Zealand this week. Dive! Tutukaka, owned by Aussie Malcolm and Jeroen Jongejans, is now New Zealand's largest dive charter operation.

The Centre offers the thrills of diving the Poor Knight Islands area off New Zealand's coast. Named by Jacques Cousteau as one of the top ten dive sites in the world, the area is separated from mainland New Zealand. The Poor Knights Islands are heavily influenced by a warm current that originates from the Coral Sea, north of Australia...

Poor Knights is rock face diving. With each meter the environments and variety of life changes significantly. Water temperature is higher and visibility is significantly greater than in nearby coastal waters. Tropical as well as sub-tropical marine life flourishes here in an unusual habitat with volcanic origins. Underwater caves, tunnels and archways are home to abundant sea life in all colors, shapes and sizes!

Diving at the Poor Knights is fabulous thorughout the year. Mid January to late April offers excellent all round diving. The water is warm, 20-23 Celsius (70F), and averages 20 meters visibility.

From May to early September the visibility is excellent with a temperature drop to a winter low of 15-16 Celsius. This time of year frequently offers calm weather with increasing water visibility to 30 meters.

From September through January the water warms and plankton can reduce visibility to as little as 10 to 15 meters at certain times. But this is countered by the increase in the number and species of fish coming to feed on the plankton, including predators.

Poor Knights Islands offers many exciting and unusual dive sites. The marine species at the Poor Knights is so abundant that there is plenty to see in the first 10 meters... but you can go much deeper if you choose making the area's diving fun for both the new and experienced diver.

What types of species do divers encounter? Blue mao mao and trevally along with the majestic kingfish. Pink mao mao and demoiselles swim at depths of 12 - 25 meters. Mado and porae can often be seen deeper and rare sightings of the long finned boar fish and splendid perch have been noted.

The Middle Arch is one of the most popular dives at the Poor Knights. Inside the archway the depth ranges from 10 to 16 meters and fish are everywhere! Wrasses and Lord Howe coralfish have been seen in this area lately as have certain other rare fish such as the yellow banded perch.

The award to Northland and Dive! Tutakaka ends a year of recognition for the Northland company. Northland recently became the first dive charter business in New Zealand to be awarded the elite National Geographic Dive Centre status, and was earlier named 2005 PADI Outstanding Dive Centre out of 900 in the Asia Pacific region.

To learn more about diving Poor Knights, book a trip or explore more about this amazing underwater habitat, visit: Dive Poor Knights Islands

Source: www.divenews.com