These vents are known as the 'dancing sands', which for the few scuba divers who have secured permission to dive in the springs, is one of the highlights of underwater sightseeing.

In Māori tradition the Springs are waiora, the purest form of water which is the wairua (spiritual) and the physical source of life.

The Springs provide water for healing, and in the past were a place of ceremonial blessings at times of birth and death and the leaving and returning of travellers."

In 2023 the Environment Court awarded the springs and their aquifer a Water Conservation Order (WCO), the highest legal protection.

[14] However, the Sixth National Government of New Zealand introduced the Fast-track Approvals Bill in March 2024 that would override WCOs if the legislation were to be passed as drafted.