Features

Te Angiangi Marine Reserve map

The northern and southern boundaries of the reserve are marked by pairs of large orange triangular beacons. These are located at the mouth of the Ouepoto Stream, on the end of the ridge immediately south of the Shoal Bay houses and 100 metres south of the end of Long Range Road at Blackhead.

The seaward boundary is one nautical mile (1.853 km) from mean high water. Boat owners without radar or GPS can also use depth to help them estimate whether they are inside, or outside the marine reserve. At the northern and southern ends of the reserve water depth generally does not exceed 24 metres but between the Aramoana and Blackhead campgrounds it extends out to at least 33 metres deep.

This reserve protects a typical piece of the Central Hawke's Bay coast. At low tide a broad rock platform is exposed, giving access to a fascinating variety of marine life. Distinctive plants and animals include the golden limpet, and large beds of Neptune's necklace, pink coralline seaweed and eel grass. Small fish, crabs, juvenile paua and kina inhabit the rock pools.

Offshore the presence of the warm East Cape Current and the colder Southland Current means many typically "northern" and "southern" marine species occur in the reserve. Sometimes these can even be seen swimming together, or sheltering in the same crevice.

The east coast between East Cape and Cook Strait also has very high rates of larval rock lobster settlement. As a result rock lobsters form a conspicuous and important part of the reef community.