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The Sugar Loaf Marine Park – New Plymouth
These islands were originally called Ngamotu meaning 'The Islands' and renamed 'The Sugar Loaves' by Captain Cook in 1770, because they reminded him of the way sugar was stored in heaps or loaves in Europe. All the islands except one called Seagull Rock were inhabited by the tribes Taranaki and Te Atiawa, and in 1828 European traders and whalers came and lived at Ngamotu and had a lookout on Moturoa Island. The shape of this island was modified as the Harbor Board blasted rock for building the breakwater. It was established as a park in 1986, the protection of the marine park in 1991 was supported by a traditional blessing with the Tohunga (priest) placing a Rahui over the area. The area covers 8sq km of islands, seabed, shore, water, rock groups and reefs. The park differs from others as it not a reserve and still allows recreational activities such as fishing and diving. They are the eroded remnants of the earliest volcanic activity in Taranaki 1.75 million years ago. The islands along with the amazing underwater landscape are the result of upthrusts and volcanoes eroding away to leave the mass of solidified lava that once plugged their vents. Therefore the islands are called andesitic volcanic plugs, and the sea bed is made up of caves, caverns, rock faces, flats, pinnacles, crevices, overhangs, boulder fields and sand flats. They are an important environment for 11 species of seabird including flesh-footed shearwaters, sooty shearwaters, fluttering shearwaters, diving petrels, white-faced storm petrels, Grey faced petrels, white fronted terns, black shags, blue penguins and reef herons. They are the home to the northern most breeding colony of NZ Fur Seals in the breeding season the resident colony numbers go up from 20 to 400. Common dolphin, Pilot whale, Orcas, Hectors dolphin and Humpback whales are also seen.
The protective rock formations are home to many species of fish including Red Moki, Butterfly Perch, Sweep, Kahawai and Kingfish; 65 species of sponge and other creatures like the Jewel Anemone, Nudibranch (Sea slugs) and Crayfish. Cooks Scurvy Grass grows on the outer islands, and is a threatened species; other vegetation includes Taupata scrub, flax, karo and cabbage trees. |
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