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As you descend down the anchor line at the Southern Arch dive site you will hit the floor at 8 metres where rocks covered with eklonia kelp and urchins (kina). To your left there's a wall to drop over to a sandy ledge at 18 metres when diving with the fantastic teams that explore this region like Dive Tutukaka and PK Dive. It seems to be a popular spot for porae, as there are about a dozen resting on the sand.
When swimming in a southward direction, passing numerous gorgonian fan corals, and some large solanderia hydroid trees. On closer examination, you may see several jason miribalis nudibranchs that are a beautiful mauve/pink and white.
Coming to the eastern corner of the Southern Arch dive site, you will be amazed by the numbers and sheer size of some of the snapper milling around this popular hangout. It seems as if something has just happened, or is about to. Continue passing large boulders laying on the bottom at 21 metres then pass through a couple of swim throughs where banded coral shrimp are before emerging into the southern arch.
The view is superb, with the ground, strewn in boulders, gradually falling away as far as you can see, about 40 metres. Sightings of coppermoki hovering around the10 meter mark along with schools of mado as they cruise by the wall. Eagle rays rest on the bottom and all the snapper are still around, loitering with intent.
Large numbers of wrasse, mostly sandagers, and small scarlet are seen here regularly as they meet up with a few leatherjackets for your safety stop on the anchor chain.
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