Goat Island Experience Advanced Snorkel Tour

Start with a practical refresher on snorkelling skills, followed by a clear safety briefing before heading into the water at Goat Island Marine Reserve. Your guide introduces the history of Goat Island, the Leigh Coast, and the Matheson Bay Rewilding Project, along with the marine life commonly seen in New Zealand’s first marine reserve.

Once your equipment is fitted, including a weightbelt, the focus shifts to advanced techniques. You will practise duck diving and freediving skills so you can move below the surface for a closer look. Throughout the session, your dive professional stays with the group to help you feel safe and comfortable in the water.

Snorkelling here means entering a marine environment known for its variety of sea life. Depending on conditions, you may see blue maomao, snapper, eagle rays, stingrays, blue cod, octopus, kahawai, and crayfish. Dolphins and orca are sometimes seen in the reserve as well.

After the guided tour, you can keep using the equipment for the rest of the day and continue exploring at your own pace. This makes it easy to build on the skills you have just practised while spending more time in the waters around Goat Island.