Photo: Kelp New Zealand Waters

The waters of the Kaikoura Peninsula off the South Island of New Zealand is filled with beautifully golden colored kelp.

The waters surrounding New Zealand have four different types of kelp that grow in the undersea world and have an incredible complex structure. This particular kelp is known as the common kelp and it dominates a majority of the marine forests in the waters of New Zealand.Common kelp is about 1 metre in length and has leaflike sprouts arising from a central supporting stem. Sea urchins in the waters off the South Island of New Zealand prefer kelp as their choice of food. The sea urchins can mass together and chew through an entire forest of kelp but fortunately common kelp grows rapidly and soon replaces itself.Kelp is used by the Maori tribe for food and and making kelp bags for a variety of uses. In some restaurants you can order seaweed from the menu and it is an excellent source of protein and rich in vitamins and iodine.Scuba diving in the waters of Kaikoura Peninsula on the South Island of New Zealand is an experience of a lifetime. ... continue below the picture...

... There you will come across amazing sea life, reefs, wrecks, kelp and other intriguing sea creatures in the clear waters off the South Island of New Zealand.Kelp, Kaikoura Peninsula, Kaikoura, Canterbury, East Coast, South Island, New Zealand.