When Te Whanganui-A-Hei (Cathedral Cove) Marine Reserve was gazetted in 1992 it became New Zealand’s sixth marine reserve and the first for the Coromandel. The reserve covers 9 square kilometres and is administered by the Department of Conservation in partnership with the Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve Committee.
In the same way that national parks protect species and habitats on land, marine reserves protect representative coastal and marine landscapes and the marine life within them. Safe from harvesting and other disturbances, plant and animal communities in these reserves thrive and precious taonga are protected now and in the future for the benefit and enjoyment of all.