The Poor Knights Islands Dive Sites
Just some of the sites around the islands
Northern Arch - A small slot hides a larger, wider Arch beneath the water. The Archway itself has two colourful walls that drop to at least 35m and large schools of fish often stack up from the shallows to the deep. Currents can often run through the arch, which attract large Kingfish and Rays. The wall toward the point has plenty of colour with Nudibranchs and Morays hiding in the cracks. The point itself is usually home to large schools of Pink Maomao, Snapper and Kingfish. There are also sightings of Sharks around this site. There is also a small cave on the southern side. Max Depth 40m+
Middle Arch - The Archway itself has a max depth of 15m with bright colourful walls and a floor of rocks and boulders hiding an array of critters. A sandy strip to the east frequently play host to Stingrays. Bernies Cave on the SW corner is an air bubble cave with a small mirror air bubble at 9m. The outside wall is full of cracks and falls down to 30m and beyond at the point. Max Depth 30m
Boarfish Reef - A shallow reef forms a ridge that slowly falls down to 30m. This rocky ridge has plenty of Morays and Longfin Boarfish at the deeper end. Max Depth 30m
Giants Staircase - The wall at Landing Bay forms into a ridge with huge boulders that form a 'staircase' down to the sand. Plenty of macro life on the small steep steps. Max Depth 30m
Landing Bay Pinnacle - An underwater ridge that has become detached from the main island turning it into a Pinnacle rising up to 5m. The southern side has a steep drop while the north is more gentle. Schools of Boarfish tend to hang out at 40m, while the ridge often has more schooling Maomao in shallower waters. Max Depth 40m
Taravana Cave - A huge underwater cave with an entrance in 19m down to 35m. The large entrance slowly narrows as the cave extends 200m into the island. An alternate exit is narrower and a bit deeper than the main one. A must for serious cave divers. Max Depth 40m
The Canyons - A couple of parallel ridges form The Canyons, home to numerous Morays, large hydroid fans and primnoidis. In the shallows of the main wall there are often large Scorpion fish and schooling Blue Maomao. Max Depth 40m
Nudibranch City - The other side of the Canyons is another wall covered in Nudibranchs and other macro life. Max Depth 30m
Dutchman's Cove - A sandy cove about 20m deep with an edge of rocks, kelp, sand and sea grasses. A small reef runs out west in deeper water. Max Depth 20m
Nursery Cove - Sandy patches at the back are 6m deep and the rocky bottom slowly drops to the sand line in 20m. Lots of Juvenile fish and Stingrays sitting in the sand. In the deeper sand lies an Admiralty Anchor covered in kelp and home to a yellow Moray. Back on the wall is The Labyrinth - a chimney leading up to 8m and more cracks to explore. Max Depth 20m
Mary's Wall - A rocky gully leads to the sand and a wall out in deeper water. Max Depth 30m
Trev's Rock - A pinnacle coming up to 6m covered in life all the way down to a underwater arch swim-through in 22m. Spanish Lobster, Demoiselles and Nudibranchs are all common on the rock. Keep a lookout for the Frog and Toadstool. Max Depth 25m
The Gardens - Kelp covered rocks, sandy patches and schools of Sandagger's Wrasse are the hallmarks of a dive at The Gardens. Max Depth 20m
Meditation Wall / Big Eye Cave - A small wall in The Gardens from 5m to 15m is a colourful area with plenty of Macro life and one of the first sites to get covered in Blue Bell Tunicates in the spring. Big Eye cave is in the corner and only 9m deep. It goes back 50m and is wide enough for 2 divers. Max Depth 20m
Great Wall - A big wall at the edge of The Gardens dropping from 15m to 30m. More kelp than most walls, but plenty of swim throughs and often rays in the sand. Max Depth 30m
Rikoriko Entrance - The entrance to the worlds largest sea cave is an area with huge boulders dropping off to the sand in 35m. Max Depth 35m
Rikoriko Cave - The worlds largest sea cave is an eerie place, with little plant life in the shallows (9m). Blue Maomao often shelter in the shallows and rays cruise across the entrance. The wall at the entrance provides a burst of colour in contrast to the darkness of the cave. Max Depth 30m
Red Baron Caves - A series of chimneys make up the Red Baron Caves. Some of them don't make the surface, whilst others open out in 6m. Giant cracks and small swim throughs along with hiding Pink Maomao make this a very scenic dive. Max Depth 30m
Crystal Cave - A large sandy entrance to Crystal cave in 15m leads to a narrowing cave going down to a 1m constriction in 20m. Beyond here a halocline can make further penetration dangerous without cave equipment and training. Max Depth 20m
Kev's Cave / Jan's Tunnel - On the outside a large pinnacle drops from 5m to the sand in 30m. A few swim throughs lead up a crack and finally to a lip in 5m. Over the lip Jan's Tunnel deepens to 10m and opens out. A large rocks sits in the sunlight and a small grotto is formed all around. In the shallows there are Waratah Anemones open at high tide. A small rocky underwater path leads to the surface and a small pool. To the right is a horseshoe cave in 5m. Kev's Cave is a small cave on the northern side of the bay in 10m. Max Depth 30m
Ngaio Rock / Magic Wall - Magic Wall rises from the sand in 30m up to 5m. Stingrays and Porae sit in the sand,Nudibranchs and Bryzoans cover the wall. Follow the ridge over some small bay like areas and end up at Ngaio Rock. The rock is covered in cracks and holes and on the seaward side huge Snapper hover in the shallows looking out into the blue. Max Depth 40m
Labrid Channel - The channel between Archway and Aorangi Islands is a sandy path lined with rocks and kelp. Stingrays often cruise by and schooling fish can be seen making their way to South Harbour or Blue Maomao Arch. Max Depth 18m
Crynoid Cliff - A sheer cliff down to 20m lead to a rock and kelp slope down to 30m. The cliff is a macro extravaganza - with Nudibranchs and Morays a plenty. Max Depth 30m
The Rock - A large flat-topped rock sits at the northern end of Southern Arch. The flat top in 7m drops steeply down to 30m with lots of cracks and ledges to explore. Max Depth 30m
Blue Maomao Arch - An Archway running parallel to Labrid Channel it gets its name from the density of Blue Maomao often found inside. Sometimes so thick it's hard for the sunlight to penetrate from the large hole on the northern side, which produces some spectacular sunlight effects. Max Depth 15m
Fraggle Rock - A series of swim throughs lead down from 9m to the sand at 40m. Max Depth 40m
Fred's Pinnacle - A large pinnacle rising to 5m. Covered with life and often an area to spot larger pelagics cruising by in the blue. Max Depth 40m+
Mineshaft Cave - A large open cave with a small shaft at the back, which can be penetrated for about 20m. Max Depth 20m
Matt's Crack - A huge crack running into the island stretches about 200m. The surface is always accessible, but the light runs out about half way to make it feel like a cave. Crayfish and Demoiselles are often seen. The back is only 5m deep, but on exiting the view is of a clear blue 'V' stretching out in front of you. Often crystal clear this a unique dive experience. Max Depth 18m
Bird Rock - A rock that surfaces is the start of an underwater rock and ridge that has schooling fish all around. Max Depth 30m
Maomao Arch - The Archway that runs through Tawhiti Rahi Island is shallow (3m) in the middle, but few can say they've dived both sides of the island on one dive. Max Depth 25m
Hope Point - A ridge that extends out to sea provides some blue water for spotting pelagics. An Air Bubble cave in 9m is a great way to finish the dive. Max Depth 30m
Cave Bay - The bay itself has large rocks and kelp with some sandy patches around the edges. On the southern side the wall extends into a vertical wall dropping to 35m. Covered in fans, sponges and bryzoans this is one of the most colourful walls at The Knights. Max Depth 35m
Barren Arch - Also known as Splendid Arch the archway itself starts from a shallow ridge in 5m slowly down to 30m+ at the exit. The walls of the archway and the area around the point are full of colour and life. Max Depth 30m
Cream Gardens - The largest wall at The Poor Knights starts from the surf and plunges beyond 40m. Fans, sponges and the best place to see Bronze Whalers make this a deep dive to be done when conditions allow. Max Depth 40m+
Wild Beast Point - The northern most point on Tawhiti Rahi Island is a wide ridge that can have some currents running over it. Rarely dived and purely a 'wide-angle' dive site looking into the blue for the big stuff! Max Depth 30m
Tie Dye Arch - The archway on the Pinnacles Islands has a max depth of 15m within the archway itself. Often full of Stingrays, Snapper, Maomao and large Kingfish you can find yourself just sitting in the arch for the whole dive. The wall outside is covered in Hydroid fans and other macro life. the channel outside has some huge boulders falling away beyond 30m. Max Depth 30m+
Cathedral Cave - A large open cave on the Pinnacles with steep sides and a rocky bottom. The point outside is often a spot to see Kingfish. Max Depth 30m
Sugarloaf - The steep solitary rock to the south of The Poor Knights, this is deep diving at its best. Walls, point and current combine to provide sightings of Sharks, Whales, and huge schools of Kingfish. A large crack in 15m is called Stingray City and often has 50+ rays cruising up and down the walls. Max Depth 40m+