Astrolabe Reef
Coordinates: 37 ° 32 ' S , 176 ° 26' E
The Astrolabe Reef is located in the Bay of Plenty on the North Island of New Zealand , near Motiti Iceland . The reef that can be seen at low tide is a well known diving area .
The astrolabe reef was named after Jules Dumont d'Urville , who named it on February 16, 1827 after his ship, the astrolabe .
On October 5, 2011, the container ship Rena , which was chartered to the Geneva- based shipping company Mediterranean Shipping Company , hit the reef and leaked. The resulting oil spill off New Zealand polluted the surrounding beaches and led to mass deaths among the native bird and fish populations.