Flea Bay Average Rating : 4.00 out of 5

Flea Bay, also known as Pohatu Marine Reserve, is a bay on the south-east edge of the Banks Peninsula. It is accessible by boat or car from Akaroa, by road its about 30mins. The road from Akaroa is Lighthouse Rd and is sealed (tarmac), mostly single lane and very steep in places. It meets Flea Bay Rd which is unsealed (gravel) and although it is accessible in a 2WD vehicle I would recommend a 4WD. The road descends over 800m to the reserve so remember to allow some decomp time before leaving or limit your dive depth.
The bay is accessible from the road via a beach entry, the beach is a mixture of sand/rocks so care is required. A sandy bottom turns to rocky reefs at around 6m and then to deep volcanic cracks further out. The entrance to the bay is around 30m.

Seals are common here and tend to stick to the R/H side of the bay where there are some caves above sea level. It was recommended we stay away from the general area of the caves to prevent any upsets. Visibility was around 6-8m when we were there and we only went to 12m as my son is a Junior Open Water diver. Plenty of marine life to see and you may even get a visit from a seal or dolphin if you're lucky. As its a reserve you are not allowed to take Paua (when snorkelling) or Crayfish.

I would recommend making a day of it and contacting Shireen or Francis Helps who look after the Penguin Colony at Pohatu and can arrange overnight stays, kayak tours in the bay and even Penguin tours! (http://www.pohatu.co.nz/)