Container removal operations from Rena are underway again with salvors lifting 24 of them from the ship's deck on Monday.

The operation at the Astrolabe Reef has seen 243 containers removed by Svitzer salvors, now operating from the Smit Borneo barge.

Rena photographed on December 18 by LOC.

Container removal was stalled by bad weather at the weekend, but the conditions are calm and the short term forecast positive.

Seas of 0.5m and sea breezes of 10-20 knots are forecast, turning from easterlies to southeasterlies and then northeasterlies until Monday.

There is a total of 1026 containers still aboard the 236m container ship which ran aground on October 5.

Maritime New Zealand is reporting diving surveys have confirmed there is no further degradation to the status of its cracked and buckled hull.

An observation flight this morning noted patches of oil and a 3km long metallic sheen about 20 metres wide heading northwest from the shipwreck.

Patches of rainbow sheen were visible for up to 7-8km off the western side of Motiti Island about half a kilometre from the coast.

Three penguins were released at Leisure Island this morning, leaving 40 birds still in captivity. A check of Rabbit Island on Monday night found no new oiled birds.