Northland Rainbow Warrior

DESCRIPTION

Dive site review and images by Tom Crisp

The Rainbow Warrior is easily one of New Zealand's top dive sites (it was recently rated in the Lonely Planets top 10 dive sites in the world!).

The history behind the wreck gives this dive a real moody atmosphere. The wreck itself has done Greenpeace proud as it is now home to a number of species of not only fish but invertebrates and plants, such as schooling sweep, pigfish, jewel anemones and numerous nudibranchs. The decks are covered with a healthy growth of kelp and inside is littered with big eyes.

This is a great site to inspire people to go wreck diving as it has history, scenery, marine life and safe swim throughs, everything you could ask for.

The outside of the wreck is a great place for any level of diver while inside is for the slightly more adventurous. Debris is strewn throughout the rooms giving a real natural wreck feel.

The Rainbow Warrior is a must for divers whether you are just visiting New Zealand or a permanent resident. The depth also gives you plenty of time to explore especially when utilizing Nitrox as the sand is only at 25m so the majority of the dive is shallower.

A particularly picturesque part of the dive is the bow. While hovering in front of the ship you can imagine it plowing through waves on its way to a protest. If you have not dived the Rainbow Warrior, make sure you make the effort to get there as soon as possible.

REVIEW

Dive Site Review and photos by Martin Wallis

On the 10th of July 1985 the Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior was moored in Auckland, New Zealand and was preparing to head to Moruroa Atoll to confront French nuclear testing. The French foreign intelligence services had two agents attach explosives to the propeller and the outer wall of the engine room in order to destroy the Rainbow Warrior thereby halting the Greenpeace protests at the Atoll.

A photographer drowned during the sinking of the ship and later on two French agents were arrested, tried and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment of which they served slightly more than two.

After the bombing, the ship was given it’s final resting place at Matauri Bay, at New Zealand’s Cavalli Islands, where it has become a living reef, attracting loads of marine life and recreational divers. It’s one of, if not the most beautiful wreck to dive in New Zealand. The maximum depth is 27m with most of the dive being spent between 15 and 25m.

I’ve dived this wreck with 40% nitrox in twin tanks and also on my rebreather. Either way, if you take your time and spend as much as 90 minutes on her you’ll have more than ample time to photograph the entire wreck both inside and out. I plan to do many more dives on her yet.

This wreck is easily diveable on air and single tanks divers can enjoy a good long cruisey dive with plenty of time to look through her many nooks and cranies. Due to the length of time this wreck has been down for it has many many resident fish and other wildlife and is completely encrusted with corals, sponges and other encrusting life including swathes of colourful jewel anemonies which help her to live up to the name of ‘Rainbow’ Warrior.