Divers and a remote operated vehicle are making the most of good weather to learn what they can about the sunken Rena stern section.

The divers are working at up to 35 metre depths and the remote operated vehicle is looking at the aft end of the ship, which lies in water up to 70m deep.

A diver clings to the top of the Rena's sunken accommodation section at the Astrolabe Reef. Photo: Maritime New Zealand.

'We are not doing saturation diving at this stage,” says Maritime New Zealand national on scene commander Mick Courtnell.

They are using the ROV and assisting the divers to map the area out.

Divers are expected to be recalled from the water in the next day or so.

Winds of 25-30knots and a swell of 2-2.5m is forecast to arrive at the Astrolabe Reef today, rendering these operations unsafe to continue.

While three containers have been identified on the reef in the immediate vicinity of the wreck, Braemar Howells operations manager Claudene Sharp says there are about 20 objects close to the wreck that are yet to be positively identified.

'A lot of them turn out to be rocks when we have a closer look,” says Claudene.

The four empty hydrogen peroxide containers on the Rena's fore deck have been removed and are in the process of being returned to the ship's charterer MSC.

Onshore teams are continuing to remove debris from the beaches at Waihi, Matakana and Motiti.

Rubbish from remote areas is still being lifted by helicopter to a barge at sea.

A container of plastic beads on Matakana Island has been moved above the tide line and will be emptied.

'We have had a few companies come forward and offer to recycle them for us,” says Claudene.