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A heart-shaped human chain and guided snorkel tours are two of the highlights planned for a Love Your Harbour community day at Whangateau Reserve on Valentine’s Day, Sunday February 14.
As well as free snorkelling with expert guides in the mangroves near Horseshoe Island, there will also be the chance to try stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) or kayaking in the harbour. On land, there will be displays and information on Whangateau’s diverse marine life from groups including Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR), Whangateau HarbourCare, Ngati Manuhiri and Auckland Council.
EMR marine and freshwater education coordinator Kim Jones says they hope to take some drone footage of a heart-shaped human chain around one of the mangroves, not only because of the date, but also to highlight Whangateau’s exceptional qualities.
“It’s such a special, special harbour,” she says. “Because of the filtering capabilities of the cockles there, the water actually comes out of the harbour cleaner than it goes in.
“We’ve planned the snorkelling for either side of high tide so we can get right in amongst the mangroves. There’s a huge amount of marine life to be seen there.”
Snorkellers could get to see crabs, triplefins, parore or yellow-eyed mullet, but there will also be live tanks and photographs onshore displaying some of the local marine life for anyone who misses out.
The Love Your Harbour community day starts at 10.30am with snorkelling until 2.30pm, followed by the human chain and a prize draw. All activities are free and include hire of masks, snorkels, fins and wetsuits. A barbecue and refreshments will also be available.
Info: kim@emr.org.nz or go to the Snorkel Day section at emr.org.nz
