The Gemstone Bay Snorkel Trail Hahei

Gemstone Bay is along the track to Cathedral Cove and a great place to snorkel.

An amazing way to experience Te Whanganui-o-Hei Marine Reserve is by visiting Waimata Gemstone Bay.

On a calm day, it is an easy kayak from Hahei Beach to the Waimata Gemstone Bay snorkel trail and experience the wonders of marine protection in action. At Waimata there are two buoys with information about the local marine creatures you may see below. The buoys also have handles which you can hold onto so everyone can feel comfortable in the water. The best part about Waimata is the range of habitats that the boulder beach, soft sand and seaweed beds provide. More diverse habitats = more diverse creatures!

Watch out for our fishy friends – tamure snapper – with their pink scales and bright blue spots, āhuruhru goatfish – with their two feelers (goatees) rustling in the sand and paketi spotty – hiding amongst the shallow weed and rocks. These are just some of the many fish species that call our marine reserve home. We are also lucky enough to have an abundance of other critters within Te Whanganui-o-Hei including kōura crayfish, kina urchin, anemones and lots of intertidal creatures that adapt with the rise and fall of the tides.

Please look, don’t touch, everything is protected in a marine reserve.
At depths of 0-10m, Waimata Gemstone Bay is a great place to spend the day. Make sure to check the forecast before heading out and make sure you have the right gear – masks, snorkels, wetsuits and extra floaty things if you like!