In the area around Polhawn Cove, where once was a thriving ecosystem there is now decayed vegetation, and a few sick cuttlefish or flounder. The kelp is diseased. Rare corals are being choked. This is a place where there should be crabs, prawns and anemones. But almost everything is sick or dead or dying.

Picture shows Silt and Beggiatota (20 Feb 05)

Dave Peake has dived the area for over 40 years:

"There is a build-up of silt and it never used to be like that. It's horrendous. You can put your hand down sometimes and a big chunk of silt will come up. There are white particles (Beggiatoa) that are not natural to the marine environment. We were always assured during RAFT that none of the dredged material would come inshore. But it hasn't dispersed and I've seen stuff in the waters after RAFT that was never there before"


"Silt is also starting to build up on the wreck of the James Eagan Layne. "I've been diving down there for 25-30 years and have been horrified by what I've seen. You can't relate it to the weather, it's all year round. It's definitely got worse in the past three years - it's a matter of what and where they are dumping. There's been deterioration in the sea life in the area and around the James Eagan Layne, and a build-up of silt on the stern section of the wreck".