Over 180 fish species call the Taputeranga scenic reserve home. A variety of Octopus, rock lobsters, crabs, starfish, sea sponges and sea squirts occupy these waters.  The weather is changeable and the water churns through the Cook Strait, creating a complex undersea environment. This also means no two days are the same at Taputeranga scenic reserve. These changeable conditions bring in nutrients from the Cook straight producing an ideal growing situation for roughly 400 varieties of kelp and seaweed. Some reaching 20m in sheltered places