Astrolabe Reef facts for kids
Astrolabe Reef is a special underwater place near Motiti Island. It is about 20 kilometres (12 miles) northeast of Tauranga, off the Bay of Plenty coast in New Zealand.
This reef is a popular spot for scuba diving. At low tide, you can even see parts of the reef above the water. The seafloor around the reef drops down to about 37 meters (121 feet) deep in some areas.
The reef got its name from a French explorer named Jules Dumont d'Urville. His ship, the Astrolabe, almost crashed into the reef on February 16, 1827.
The Rena Ship Accident
On October 5, 2011, a large container ship called the MV Rena got stuck on Astrolabe Reef. This accident caused a big problem for the ocean and its creatures.
By October 9, a large oil spill, about 5 kilometres (3 miles) long, was floating in the water. This oil was a danger to the local wildlife and the rich fishing areas nearby.
A few days later, on October 13, the ship started to tilt and rock in the waves. More than 88 shipping containers fell into the sea. Some of these containers held harmful chemicals.
During a big storm on January 7, 2012, the Rena wreck broke into two pieces.
After the accident, a special area was closed off around the wreck. This was to allow people to clean up and remove parts of the ship. The area stayed closed until April 2016.
Now, Astrolabe Reef and the parts of the Rena that were left behind have become a famous place for divers to explore.
