11 Places to Scuba Dive in New Zealand
Scuba Dive in New Zealand means fun. Qualified divers get options with different types of dives off the coast of New Zealand. If you are a novice to the dive scene there are many awesome Scuba Dive in NZ to do with activity providers. Here we will talk about 11 places to Scuba Dive in NZ.
The places off the shore of the North Island attract tropical fish, whereas the fiords in the South Island offer the right environment for the black corral. You can enjoy diving deep into the waters of the famous Milford Sound, wreck dives, particularly around the Bay of Islands and Northland, for more technical divers. You can even explore the sea that attracts so many sea mammals in Kaikoura.
Scuba Dive in New Zealand
Here are the 11 best places for Scuba Dive in New Zealand
1. White Island
This is the most active volcano in New Zealand that attracts colorful tropical marine life and larger fish. There are three dive spots: Volkner Rocks, Club Rocks, and Liason’s Reef. You can check out the underwater vents also in this amazing volcanic space. You can also access White Island and its dive sites from Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty.
2. The Mikhail LermontovWreck
If you plan to do something big, then this wreck dive is the best fit. It is the biggest shipwreck dive in Australasia. It is located in Port Gore, Marlborough Sounds. Wondering what else is there in Australia.
3. Poor Knights Islands
This Islands is widely known for its diving options. There are four dive spots, but your diving trip isn’t complete until you do the Maomao Arch, with thousands of maomao swimming around you! The tropical currents that keep coming through the area also bring in a range of fish. You can reach Poor Knights Islands from Tutukaka in Northland and can also book your dive.
4. Aramoana Mole
This is a dive near Dunedin where you can explore underwater forests and their inhabitants. You’re also likely to stumble upon some seals along the way also. Get ready for the cold southern South Island waters.
5. Fiordland National Park
The fiords in Fiordland National Park shelter its water, keeping it calm and clear for clear visibility. Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound are known to have black and red coral allowing you the opportunity to see wildlife that would likely be a lot deeper in the ocean.
6. Rainbow Warrior
It is located just off the coast of the Bay of Islands. The Rainbow Warrior was a Greenpeace ship on its way to protest France’s nuclear testing in Muroroa when it was damaged in the Auckland Harbour and sunk in 1985. It now rests as an artificial reef in the Cavallii Islands attracting all kinds of marine life.
7. Kaikoura
It is the South Island town which is popular for attracting sperm whales, dusky dolphins, New Zealand fur seals, albatross, and more. You can go swimming with these sea mammals, but do not skip to explore the kelp forests and limestone reefs of the underwater world.
8. Kapiti Island
Also given its name to the popular New Zealand ice cream and cheese brand, Kapiti is also known for its famous onshore and offshore wildlife. This Island is also particularly popular for spearfishing. It is yet another scuba dive in NZ.
9. Mercury Islands
You can swim amongst hundreds of schools of fish and even spot octopus (and sharks!) in the marine reserve surrounded by Mercury Islands’ waters. The dive location can be accessed from Whitianga on the Coromandel Peninsula.
10. The Canterbury
If you are an expert diver then you can dive to one of the Bay of Island’s most popular dive sites, the wreck of the HMNZS Canterbury. This is an impressive, huge, and intact shipwreck to swim through with a highlight being the helicopter hanger.
11. Tui Wreck
This vessel sunk for an artificial reef, so amongst the growth, there are golden snapper and a range of fish species keeping you entertained for as long as your oxygen allows. It is yet another scuba dive in NZ off Tutukaka in Northland to explore and have fun.
