We were completing the PADI Underwater Naturalist Dive within Wellington's Taputeranga Marine Reserve.

There was plenty to see as we headed out along the wall and we saw most of the plants and animals on the local slate. We also got to spend some time with a very inquisitive octopus.

As usual I had collected some rubbish as I was swimming along the reef including a 2l coke bottle, a couple of aluminium cans, 2 golf balls, a piece of rope and a pen.

The octopus was intrigued by the rubbish and when I held up the pen he took it from me. I was feeling guilt about giving rubbish to an animal but after some inspection he swam off without it. The blue cod were also attracted to the frayed ends of the rope and I was a little concerned that they would bite me as they swam in to check it all out.

We swam off collecting a few more pieces as we went and one of our newest divers handed over some plastic and a nokia phone case.