snorkeling Archives - Rakino Island

Easter Weekend 2026 on Rakino

It was a busy Easter Weekend; so busy I’ve only just found time to upload photos and document it!

There was always going to be snorkeling, so putting an Ecofest overlay on it was no hardship. Friends from Auckland Debs and Andrew were anchored in Woody Bay so we press-ganged them into a snorkel, along with Sharon, and Sam. The water did not have the best clarity, but it was good to get in a late season snork. Sam impressed with no wetsuit… I didn’t manage to get any good photos from the event due to poor water clarity.
I did manage to get some good shots a month later in early May however; it seemed to be the season for seahares, and there was a particularly handsome white speckled seahare perambulating around in the hiwihiwi grotto…

We also had a fantastically successful Easter market day sheltering behind the fire shed, which was a great venue. I comprehensively failed to get any photos, but can report that heaps of Rakino-ites turned up, and plenty of money was raised for Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust, and marine conservation. Many thanks to Natalie who organised the event.

Snorks 2!

Four more days of recent snorkeling on Rakino Island.. Other critters seen but not photographed, (or not photographed well!) an eagle ray, and a leatherjacket. I’m determined to get a better image of the hiwihiwi next time.

You won’t see much in the way of pictures of snapper here, not because there aren’t juvenile snapper in the rocky reef zone, but because they aren’t an indicator of reef health. We’re more interested in the diversity of other species, and I’m especially interested in the uncharismatic little guys; the chiton, limpets, and dorids. What we’ve seen over the last few weeks of snorkeling is that the reef area isn’t too horrible; the steady decline of the Hauraki Gulf has been relentlessly documented for a long time and now maybe it’s time to start to try and tell a more positive story.

The addition of the High Protection Area at the Noises potentially marks a turning point for the eastern Rakino reef and coastal areas. The worst case scenario would be to see a line of recreational fishers sitting in their boats just off the edge of the HPA between Rakino and The Noises.

I’m hopeful that we’ll see even more diversity in the next few years instead, and maybe one day an extension of the HPA over to the Rakino coastline. Regardless, we’ll continue to document the changes.

Snorks!

Images of some recent snorkeling in the rocky reefs of Rakino. Many, many thanks to the Waiheke Local Board for funding the underwater camera so we can continue to document the flora and fauna of underwater Rakino.