Containers are being removed from the bow section of the Rena this morning after operations were halted at the weekend due to deteriorating sea conditions.

On Sunday the crane barge Smit Borneo was stood down from removal operations as sea conditions made it too difficult to bring it close enough to lift containers.

The crane barge Smit Borneo is back in a position to lift containers from the bow section of Rena.

A total of 39 containers have been removed from the bow section since the ship broke apart during a storm on January 8.

It is estimated to be between 360 and 400 containers still on board the forward section of the ship.

Maritime New Zealand reports six containers were removed from the bow section on Saturday, January 21 before operations ceased.

Container removal is expected to continue throughout the day as weather conditions remain fine around Astrolabe Reef, where the ship grounded on October 5.

MNZ says the 20 knot south west winds observed early this morning have ceased to around six to seven knots with a sea state of 0.4m.

In total 60 bags of milk powder filling two containers have been manually unloaded onto the deck of the bow and removed by helicopter.

Meanwhile the wildlife centre in Te Maunga that once housed more than 400 oiled little blue penguins is set to be completely removed by the end of the week.

MNZ says work has started on demobilising the facility and moving any oiled wildlife to Massey University.

Any oiled birds picked up by the wildlife team will be stabilised in Tauranga before being transported to Palmerston North for treatment and rehabilitation.

They will all be released back into the Bay of Plenty once they are healthy and their habitats are ready.

At present the university is caring for two grey faced petrels and 25 little blue penguins.

The oiled wildlife response team picked up one lightly oiled juvenile little blue penguin from Whale Island over the weekend.