Bay of Islands

A subtropical archipelago of 144 islands off Northland's coast, the Bay of Islands blends temperate kelp forests with warm northern waters. Colorful nudibranchs coat every surface, common dolphins ride bow waves between dives, and the wreck of the HMNZS Canterbury sits upright on the seafloor — one of the Pacific's great wreck dives. Visibility is best in autumn when the summer plankton bloom settles.