Diving in Southern Cook/Austral Islands
Quick Facts
- • Entry types: Mostly shore entries
- • Expect: Varies by conditions visibility
- • Highlights: Discover Southern Cook/Austral Islands's dive spots
Explore the underwater wonders of Southern Cook/Austral Islands, ecoregion. This region features 30 documented dive spots, each offering unique underwater experiences. Whether you're seeking calm snorkeling bays, challenging freediving depths, or exciting scuba adventures, Southern Cook/Austral Islands has something for every underwater explorer. Browse detailed spot information, check current conditions from recent dive logs, and connect with the local diving community to make the most of your visit.
Regional Context
🏛️ Marine Hierarchy
🌍 Associated Countries
Countries in Southern Cook/Austral Islands (2)
Popular Spots in Southern Cook/Austral Islands (30)
Aroa Rā’ui
Aroa Rā’ui is located at coordinates -21.258000, -159.817900 and features a marine reserve known for its excellent snorkeling opportunities directly accessible from the beach. This site is popular for both recreational snorkeling and as a location for confined water scuba diving training. Marine life commonly observed here includes schools of goatfish, gold-lined seabream, and surgeonfish. Additionally, the area is home to large star pufferfish, flounders, octopus, and various species of moray eels.
Arorangi Drop Off
Arorangi Drop Off is located in front of Arorangi Passage and features a reef that gradually slopes with large coral bommies. The dive site ranges in depth from 18 to 30 meters. This area is known for its frequent currents, which attract larger marine species such as eagle rays, trevally, and lionfish.
Arorangi Passage
Arorangi Passage is the smallest and shallowest of the passages in Rarotonga, characterized by frequently strong currents. The main passage has been recently dredged to accommodate smaller vessels and cruise ship tenders. Divers can explore various canyons and swim-throughs located on the outer edges of the passage. Marine life commonly observed includes lionfish and reef sharks.
Avaavaroa Drop Off
Avaavaroa Drop Off features a series of sand channels that traverse the reef in front of Avaavaroa Passage. The dive begins along a sand channel that leads to a significant drop-off, providing an opportunity to explore the edge or venture into deeper waters to observe pelagic species. On favorable days, divers may encounter a variety of marine life, including sharks, eagle rays, turtles, lionfish, and schooling tunas. This site is particularly noted for sightings of tiger sharks and hammerhead sharks, making it a notable location for divers seeking these species.
Avaavaroa Passage
Avaavaroa Passage features a unique dive experience as you navigate through a reef passage that connects the outer reef to the lagoon. The dive includes tunnels and steep canyons, creating an adventurous underwater landscape. Depths range from 24 to 26 meters. This site is known for strong currents, making it suitable for experienced divers. Marine life includes reef sharks, turtles, and eagle rays, with fish activity often enhanced by the currents.
Avana Passage
Avana Passage is located on the east coast and provides access to Ngatangiia Harbour. Divers can choose to explore the sandy passage's exterior or venture through it into the lagoon. The site is notable for its diverse marine life, including lionfish and eels. Surrounding the passage are impressive rock formations that create an ambiance reminiscent of underwater ruins.
Avarua Passage
Avarua Passage begins at Edna’s Anchor mooring, where divers can follow the sandy edge of the reef towards the shore. This sandy channel extends into Avarua Harbour. The site is characterized by notable coral formations and a diverse array of marine life, including scorpion fish, moray eels, and flounders. Additionally, it serves as a mating site for parrotfish.
Avatiu Drop Off
Avatiu Drop Off is situated just west of Avatiu Harbour, featuring a notable drop-off that begins at approximately 18 meters and descends into deeper waters, reaching depths of 12 to 40 meters. The shallower areas are rich in fish life, while divers can encounter larger predatory species along the edge of the drop-off. This site is accessible from the shore.
Blackrock
Blackrock is located directly in front of its namesake and features a series of reef plateaus that rise from the seafloor. The site is characterized by healthy coral bommies and offers intriguing swim-throughs. Divers can also explore shallow caverns at the conclusion of their dive. The depth ranges from 12 to 28 meters. Marine life commonly observed includes angelfish, moray eels, crayfish, and lionfish, particularly in the shallow caverns.
Edna’s Anchor
Edna's Anchor is a shore dive that follows the edge of the sand and reef, leading towards a significant drop-off. At a depth of approximately 22 meters, the sand begins to slope downwards. The large anchor from the schooner Edna, which sank near Atiu, can be found at 24 meters nestled between two coral bommies. The reef continues to descend steeply, reaching depths of about 65 meters at 30 meters. Marine life in the area includes parrotfish, scorpionfish, lionfish, turtles, crocodile needlefish, peacock groupers, damselfish, christmastree worms, pineapple sea cucumbers, and porites corals.
FV Maritime Reefer
The FV Maritime Reefer is a shipwreck located off the coast of Rarotonga, having been intentionally sunk in 1981 to serve as a dive site. The wreck lies at a depth of approximately 24 meters, although the surrounding area ranges from 20 to 30 meters. Over the years, the wreck has experienced significant damage due to various storms, resulting in scattered debris across the reef. This site is home to a variety of marine life, including moray eels and numerous lionfish, which have made the wreck their habitat.
Goldmine
Goldmine is situated directly in front of a local jewellery shop. The dive site features substantial coral bommies, characterized by numerous overhangs and crevices that divers can explore. The depth ranges from 15 to 25 meters. Common marine life includes scorpion fish, moray eels, trigger fish, trevally, and pufferfish. Turtles are also frequently observed in this area.
Labyrinth
Labyrinth is characterized by a shallow tunnel and cavern system located beneath the surf zone, extending from the Runway to Black Rock. This site, also referred to as Dave’s Cave, The Maze, Croc Caverns, or Nikao Tunnels, is accessible only during calm sea conditions. The maximum depth here reaches 10 meters. Divers can expect to encounter marine life such as crayfish, lionfish, and various sea shells, with occasional sightings of eagle rays and whitetip reef sharks.
M.V. Mataora
The M.V. Mataora is a cargo schooner that was intentionally sunk on December 11, 1990, to create an artificial dive site. The wreck, originally measuring 45 meters in length and weighing 300 tons, now rests at a depth of 10 to 18 meters. Over time, the vessel has suffered significant damage from tropical cyclones, resulting in a fragmented structure, although both the bow and stern remain identifiable. Divers can expect to encounter lionfish in the area, and the surrounding reef features some of the most notable hard coral formations found in Rarotonga.
Matavera Point
Matavera Point is situated just north of Matavera Wall and can be explored as a standalone deep dive or in combination with the wall dive. The site features a reef plateau that extends into the open water at a depth of approximately 20 meters, leading to a vertical wall that descends into deeper waters ranging from 25 to 40 meters. As divers descend along the wall, they will encounter large schools of fusiliers and damselfish, along with a variety of other reef fish species, indicating a rich marine biodiversity.
Matavera Wall
Matavera Wall is located just south of Matavera Point and offers a dive experience suitable for both novice and experienced divers. The dive begins at a depth of 12 meters, where a nearly vertical wall extends for 20 meters before descending to approximately 35 meters, leading into deeper waters. The site is characterized by typically clear visibility. Divers can expect to encounter various marine life, including moray eels, scorpion fish, and turtles in the shallower areas, while the deeper sections are home to tunas and lionfish.
Ngatangiia School
Ngatangiia School features a reef that begins to slope off at approximately 15 meters, allowing for a gradual drop-off dive suitable for less experienced divers. More advanced divers can explore a small swim-through located at a depth of 27 meters. The dive site has shown recovery from significant damage caused by cyclones in 2005. Marine life commonly observed here includes tunas, trevallies, morays, lionfish, and pufferfish. The depth range for this site is between 16 and 30 meters.
Ngatipa Reef
Ngatipa Reef features significant coral structures interspersed with sandy areas, making it an ideal dive site for divers of all experience levels. The site is frequently utilized for training purposes or as a secondary dive location during the day. The seabed is predominantly covered with porites coral formations, which provide habitat for various marine life, including Christmas tree worms, parrotfish, triggerfish, and turtles.
Panama
The dive site at Panama is located west of Avatiu harbour, near the Panama graveyard. It features hard coral formations, particularly Porites, interspersed with sandy areas. The depth ranges from 15 to 22 meters. Divers can expect to encounter various marine life, including triggerfish, moray eels, and trevally, which are commonly observed in this area.
Papua Drop Off
Papua Drop Off features a sandy channel leading to a reef that begins to slope at approximately 18 meters. Divers can explore the drop off or remain on the reef plateau. A small cavern entrance is located at around 10 meters. This dive site accommodates divers of all experience levels, with depths ranging from 12 meters to 40 meters. It is notable for frequent sightings of eagle rays and turtles, as well as the presence of giant clams.
Papua Passage
Papua Passage, traditionally known as Avaiti, is located on the south coast and features a short and shallow dive that begins at the outer coral reef and leads into the lagoon. The site is characterized by steep walls, swim-throughs, and well-lit caverns, providing unique underwater formations. Common marine life includes turtles, whitetip reef sharks, and the resident giant star puffer fish. The presence of strong currents often enhances the diversity of fish life in the area.
Pinnacles
Pinnacles is characterized by a sloping coral reef that leads to a steep drop-off. The primary features of this dive site are two significant coral bommies, or pinnacles, located at a depth of approximately 22 meters, with one of them being completely collapsed. The depth range for this site is between 20 meters and 30 meters. Marine life includes soldier fish, crayfish, lionfish, and moray eels, while larger predators such as trevallies and barracudas are also present in the area.
Pue Coral Gardens
Pue Coral Gardens is situated east of Ngatipa and features a diverse reef ecosystem characterized by substantial porites coral bommies. The site includes sandy patches interspersed among the coral formations and offers several swim-through opportunities. Depths range from 12 to 25 meters, making it suitable for divers with varying experience levels. The marine life is notable for the presence of large pineapple sea cucumbers and abundant Christmas tree worms.
Queens Reef
Queens Reef offers an easy dive along a steep drop-off characterized by clear water conditions. This site is often chosen when visibility is lower in the south-coast passages. The coral formations here are among the healthiest on the island, providing a habitat for various marine life. Divers may encounter pelagic species, jacks, moray eels, and nudibranchs while exploring the area.
R.M.S. Maitai
The R.M.S. Maitai, a steamship built in 1892, sank after striking a reef near Avarua Harbour on December 25, 1916. The wreck lies at a depth of approximately 10 meters and has been submerged for over a century, becoming integrated into the surrounding reef ecosystem. Divers can observe the remnants of the ship scattered over a wide area, including the visible superstructure, rudder, drive shaft, various boilers, and an engine block that protrudes above the water's surface.
Runway
Runway is situated directly in front of the runway, featuring several smaller reef plateaus interspersed with sandy trenches. The dive site reaches depths between 18 and 26 meters. During the appropriate season, eagle rays may be spotted here, along with common sightings of lionfish, scorpionfish, and moray eels.
Rutaki Drop Off
Rutaki Drop Off features a deep sand channel that connects Rutaki Passage to the drop-off. Divers can explore the reef plateau, the edge of the drop-off, or venture into deeper areas of the reef. This site is notable for its parrotfish mating activities and is a good location for observing turtles, barracudas, and tunas. Additionally, divers interested in macro life will find nudibranchs and scorpion fish present in the area.
Rutaki Passage
Rutaki Passage is characterized by its deep underwater channel with steep, vertical walls that begin just beneath the surface. The visibility typically ranges from 10 to 15 meters, contributing to the site's unique ambiance. Divers can explore various swim-throughs while navigating the often strong currents, making it an engaging dive experience. Common marine life includes turtles, whitetip reef sharks, and eagle rays, with large schools of fish frequently observed at the passage's entrance. Moray eels are also residents of this area.
Sunset Lava Tubes
Sunset Lava Tubes features a prominent coral shelf that ascends from depths of 18 meters to 5 meters. Divers can explore a network of caverns and small tunnels, which offer various overhead exit points. The depth range for this site is between 10 and 20 meters. It is an accessible overhead environment, ideal for observing marine life such as nudibranchs, lionfish, scorpionfish, cowrie shells, and anemones.
Tupapa Sandriver
Tupapa Sandriver features a sand channel bordered by coral reefs, beginning in the surf zone and extending towards a drop-off. The northern edge of the sand channel has a steep wall, while the southern side slopes more gently into deeper waters. The depth ranges from 18 to 40 meters. The site is characterized by healthy coral formations and a diverse fish population, with frequent sightings of reef predators and reef sharks as divers explore deeper areas.