Dogs 

Protect the wildlife. Your dog is dangerous to native marine life – the smallest dogs have killed penguins. If taking dogs into the reserve, remember that seals are sensitive to disruption and will try to escape to sea if they feel threatened. Keep your dog on a lead, stay at least 20 m away and don’t feed seals.

Marine life

Several water currents and its unique underwater landscape help support of a diverse and thriving ecosystem.  

Taputeranga is home to over 180 fish species recorded along the south coast. Octopus, rock lobsters, crabs and starfish are common. Anemones, sea sponges and sea squirts thrive. There's plenty of beaches and rocky shores to explore at low tide.

No two days are the same at Taputeranga. The weather is changeable and the water churns through Cook Strait, creating a moody and complex undersea environment. 

The reserve lies along Wellington's exposed southern coastline. It is swept by strong tidal currents bringing nutrients from Cook Strait, and pounded by swells from the southern ocean. This creates ideal growing conditions for seaweeds, particularly the large browns. 

Kelp forests thrive in sheltered places such as Island Bay and have been known to grow up to 20 m in length. About 400 species of seaweed have been recorded within the reserve. 

Drifting in and out of the seaweeds you will see

• butterfish
• blue moki
• marblefish
• and smaller pickers such as spotty, banded and scarlet wrasse.

Long finger reefs separated by gravel filled channels run offshore.

There is a variety of birdlife in the reserve too, such as:

• oystercatchers and reef herons close to shore
• whitefronted terns just off the coast
• large albatrosses soaring above the waves out to sea.

Little blue penguins breed on the south coast, protected from predators by traps and custom-built nest boxes. Look for fur seals lazing on the rocks or sunning themselves on the water surface. From the shore you may also see large pods of dolphins, orcas, seals and even whales. 

The abundance of species in the marine reserve area have increased since the reserve was formed in 2008.

Community groups, research institutes, and organisations are key to keeping this reserve clean and connecting people to nature.

• Friends of Taputeranga Marine Reserve
• Mountains to Sea Wellington
• Island Bay Education Centre
• Wellington Underwater Club
• Victoria University’s Coastal Ecology Laboratory

Reporting pests

Find-A-Pest lets you report potential pest species, including marine, plant, animal and fungal species.

If you come across something out of the ordinary, upload a picture to the app and a specialist will help identify it. If it's a biosecurity threat, this will be forwarded to Biosecurity New Zealand. If possible, take photos and record the location and name of the vessel.

Or call the Ministry for Primary Industries' Pest and Diseases hotline on 0800 80 99 66.

Report illegal or suspicious activity

Don't take, disturb, kill or damage anything within the reserve - it's illegal. If you see people taking anything from the reserve, report the activity as soon as possible.

You can call 0800 4 POACHER (0800 476 224) or 0800 DOCHOT (0800 362 468).

It is also an offence to pollute or litter the reserve, discharge any firearm in or into the reserve or erect any structure in the reserve.

The Wellington south coast’s early inhabitants relied on its abundant seafood. When European fishers arrived, they built narrow boat ramps that can still be seen carved into rocky reefs.

A marine reserve here was proposed in 1987 to protect culturally important sites, diverse plants and animals, undersea reefs and biological oddities for restoration, recreation and study. Taputeranga reserve was officially opened in 2008. The local community played a major role in the application process and is still involved with the reserve.