Police could only stand back and watch as fire destroyed a 10m yacht south of Auckland yesterday.

Some of us listen to whale sounds to relax or sleep - but for Rosalyn Putland, it's serious science.

A Wellsford family enjoying a day in the Hauraki Gulf near Leigh were delighted to have some extra visitors along for the afternoon.

Police are investigating the death of a 48-year-old kayaker found floating in the water at Tauranga Bay near Westport today.

A great white shark has been lurking around Ahipara on Northland's west coast, at times swimming right into the surf at Shipwreck Bay.

Sixteen passengers and a Fullers crew member were injured when the vessel struck the wharf late this morning, crunching its bow and knocking people out of seats.

A fishing ship trapped in ice last week has made it to the open ocean and will now head to New Zealand under its own steam.

An amateur photographer was walking along the water with his family when he captured a ten-minute sea battle between a seal and its latest catch.

Sixty whales from a stranded pod of almost 200 have been successfully refloated near Nelson.

Jake Macpherson doesn't like the water - but that didn't stop him diving into the ocean to save the life of a stranger swept off rocks at a popular Northland beach.

A United States icebreaker is just 7.4 kilometres away from a fishing vessel trapped by ice in Antarctica with 13 New Zealanders on board.

The captain of the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia may remain a free man - for now - despite being found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Councillors will be asked to permit the port company to reclaim 2ha of harbour every 10 years into the future, writes Brian Rudman.

Three years after he crashed the Costa Concordia, former captain Francesco Schettino will learn this week if he is to spend most of his remaining years in prison.

A plan to rearrange the uses of Auckland's downtown wharves, including a new cruise ship terminal on Captain Cook wharf, is going to an Auckland Council committee.

"Who would leave a boat on autopilot in a harbour packed with boats fishing?" Police confirm an investigation into a yacht that knocked a man unconscious.

A 17-year-old girl was rescued from the Waikato River early this morning by a police officer who swam to save her before she went under.

The speed a snapper can reach could have implications for how tasty it is, researchers say.

Anglers are being given the chance to reel in the catch of their career - a $1 million snapper.

Eleven great white sharks have been spotted at a single site in the Kaipara Harbour - the largest concentration of the species yet seen in the upper North Island.