A wonderful wreck up north
Judy Ormandy takes a dive in Paihia
HMNZS Canterbury, Deep Water Cove, Paihia
The decommissioned HMNZS Canterbury was a Leander class frigate deliberately scuttled in Deep Water Cove in the Bay of Islands in 2007. She lies upright in about 40m of water.
Assisted by a rāhui, she is now a vibrant artificial reef, home to schooling fish, marching pack crays and colonies of anemones. She is also an impressive wreck dive with corridors, a laundry, an engine room and Bridge to explore, with numerous access points.
However, the jewel anemones decorating the railing are my favourite. In 2024, I finally saw the jewel anemones spawning after several unsuccessful efforts. The spawning pink anemones, the females plump with their orange eggs, with the boy anemones literally coming to the party soon after, were a bucket-list dive.
I’ve done one night dive on the Canterbury, and this would be one of my all-time favourite dives. The jewel anemones encrusting the railings created a luminescent kaleidoscope of colours, contrasted against the inky blackness of the night sea.
Visit Dive Pacific for more stories like this.