Off to Tokaroa Rock for the second dive of the day.

Tokaroa Rock

There were lots of snails, both big and small.

Snails

Then there was this amazing variable nudibranch.

Variable Nudibranch

This is where I encountered the one and only octopus I saw on the whole trip. I feel like this is the definition of an "octopuses garden". The octopus had surrounded itself by what appeared to be shells, rocks, and barnacles attached to its arms. The barnacle on the upper right of the picture was still alive! Perhaps a snack for later in addition to providing a barrier.

Octopus

At the end of this dive too, we spotted another Australian bull ray before ascending.

Australian Bull Ray

Location: North Island, The Mercury Islands, New Zealand

Dive Number:   258 Bottom Time: 57m Time In: 12:28 p.m. Tank In: 200 PSI Max Depth: 22.00 ft Table Used:

Mix:   Air Safety Stop: 3m Time Out: 1:25 p.m. Tank Out: 43 PSI Average Depth: 12.00 ft Start Pressure Group:

Surface Interval:   2h 22m End Pressure Group:

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