Fog may have created minor delays in Port Otago's shipping schedule yesterday, but it also created a major spectacle for those on the ''top side''.
The arrivals and departures of six ships from Otago Harbour had to be rescheduled because of the fog, which limited visibility to less than 100m.
It rolled in before 4am but had dispersed by about 8.30am.
For cruise ship passengers on Radiance of the Seas and Caledonian Sky, the fog was a bonus because it meant their time in Dunedin was extended by a couple of hours.
Port Otago marine and infrastructure manager Sean Bolt said the order of arrivals or departures had to be changed because of the changing tide and the differing draughts of each vessel.
''Requirements changed as the tide changed,'' he said.
Four vessels had to wait to come in and two to leave, but container operations at Port Otago were not hindered by the fog.
MetService meteorologist Lisa Murray said the fog covering most of the harbour and Dunedin coastline, was caused by a high pressure system sitting off the east coast of New Zealand.
She said that the warm air mixing with cooler sea water, created condensation or fog.
She warned a front was expected to move across the South Island tomorrow, bringing strong and damaging gales to exposed parts of Otago and Southland.
Residents across the southern region should be prepared for winds reaching more than 100kmh, she said.
