Scuba divers know that in temperate waters, if the water is clear, one must go deeper to find colours. I was quite surprised during my dive near Leigh when I found this cute sponge garden in just 10 metres of water. The sponges were not that big and they covered just a couple of square metres, yet their shapes and colours reminded me of the beauty of the southern temperate Pacific.
Various colourful sponges scattered on a flat rocky reef with growth of brown kelp Ecklonia radiata. Location: Leigh, New ZealandYellow nipple sponges and orange tree-like sponge on a rocky reef under canopy of kelp forest. Location: Leigh, New ZealandColourful sponge garden on rocks covered with kelp Ecklonia radiata with young Australasian snapper swimming above the bottom. Location: Leigh, New ZealandSmall shrub of orange finger sponge Pararhaphoxya sinclairi hiding in shade under kelp fronds. Location: Leigh, New Zealand
