Two people were rescued after leaping into the water from a burning launch off Mayor Island in the Bay of Plenty today.

Something is holding down the herring population of Alaska's Prince William Sound, and marine scientists are tailing some rather large suspects: humpback whales.

Japanese whalers and anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd are once again pointing the finger at each other after a collision at sea.

A teenage girl who fought off a shark was lucky the animal only gave her an "exploratory bite", an expert says.

A 14-year-old boogie-boarder attacked by a shark says she stood on something slippery before seeing a "massive grey thing twisting in the water".

Rescue services were flat-out with 25 callouts by 5pm yesterday.

Australian sailor Jessica Watson might have another 21,300km to go, but her mother says it's a great comfort to know she's officially homeward bound.

Big-spending overseas millionaires' superyachts are being turned away from Auckland because of lack of decent berths.

Jaqueline Smith put her hand up for a swim in Kelly Tarlton's Shark Cage and was relieved it wasn't bitten off.

Toxic sea slugs could be living in the waters around New Zealand but money to study them is proving harder to find than the slugs themselves.

A couple who clambered on to the Poor Knights Islands could now face prosecution by the Department of Conservation.