Hammerhead Dive from Warkworth - Any Information?

[PugHugger]

Hello all

Mr PH and I will be in NZ in March. I've got a day booked for the Poor Knight Islands and was also going to book Goat Island.

However, I've come across today a hammerhead experience departing from Warkworth (Horn Rock Hammerhead Experience). I'm now seriously considering this but there is limited information on the web. Have any ScubaBoard members done this dive? I'd be curious as to the actual success rate of seeing hammerheads but also the conditions (i.e. currenty or poor vis issues). I'm not the most confident diver (or as Mr PH says, I'm cautious), I don't really love currents and tend to avoid diving them if I can unless its a full drift dive. I also prefer to dive in at least 10m of visibility if I can.

Thanks in advance for any guidance you can offer.

 

[Bert van den Berg]

Hi,

Did this dive a few years back and there were no hammerheads. You might want to ask how often they actually find sharks. Did find a lobster which I got to keep!

It was a bumpy ride on a fast RIB. The viz was good and no current that day.

The Poor Knights is a very good choice and I can't recommend it enough. Goat Island is a shallow dive but you will see large quantities of large lobsters (it's a marine reserve). I personally think that the Poor Knights are far better (also a reserve) but Goat Island is free.

 

[PugHugger]

Hi,

Did this dive a few years back and there were no hammerheads. You might want to ask how often they actually find sharks. Did find a lobster which I got to keep!

It was a bumpy ride on a fast RIB. The viz was good and no current that day.

The Poor Knights is a very good choice and I can't recommend it enough. Goat Island is a shallow dive but you will see large quantities of large lobsters (it's a marine reserve). I personally think that the Poor Knights are far better (also a reserve) but Goat Island is free.

Thanks for the response Bert

Poor Knights are a definite. I might stick with Goat Island. I don't love the sound of the bumpy ride... Plus we are looking at the great hammerheads in the Bahamas soonish so I won't be missing out!