This meant he was surprised when he pulled up a substantial amount of seaweed that looked like it could be exotic caulerpa in Paradise Bay at Urupukapuka.
“Paradise Bay is a safe anchorage, and we anchored one night,” he recounts. “In the morning a good chunk of weed came up on the chain. It looked very like the images of caulerpa on the MPI website, but as it came up, it rolled off and fell in the water, so I couldn’t get a photo. I was concerned so I filed a report online, which was easy to do. I knew it wasn’t good.”
Within days, the report had been followed up by divers and the seaweed confirmed to be exotic caulerpa, likely spread from a known infestation at nearby Omakiwi Cove.
Previous surveillance in the wider area had not revealed any exotic caulerpa, and authorities are now working with local groups to try to determine the extent of the seaweed’s spread and ensure the most effective response.
Ben says that his boat is equipped with an electric winch but that, like most boat owners, he stands at the bow while the anchor is being lifted, which means he can quickly spot anything that shouldn’t be on his anchor and chain. “Most boaties are aware of what is on their anchor and chain, and they don’t generally pull up weed, but my chain collected it from the ocean floor.”
