HAUTURU ISLAND

Whangamata
Depth Range: 5-18m
Small schools of kahawai and mackerel offshore plus kingfish in summer. Mainly spotties around the kelp. Best with no swell and offshore or light winds. Visibility often poor after heavy rain. A few, usually small, crayfish under the kelp in the niches and holes.

TE WHATIPU ROCKS

Whangamata
Depth: 5-20m
Red moki, leatherjackets and spotties most common. Best with no swell and offshore or light winds. Some current away from reef. Often small schools of kahawai and mackerel and kingfish in summer. Small crayfish amongst the jumbled rocks. Some nice patches of sponge and anemones and nudibranchs below 15 metres.

PATUHAMO POINT

Whangamata
Depth Range: 5-15m
Best with no swell and offshore or light winds. Visibility often poor after heavy rain. Small patches of reef with kina and mussels in the shallows. Red moki, spotties and banded wrasse most common. Occasional crayfish in the cracks and under rocks and occasionally small beds of scallops on the sand.

THE CENTRE HOLE

Whangamata
Depth Range: 25-35m
Only diveable with light or no wind. Some current. Usually lots of school fish above with kahawai, blue maomao, demoiselles, snapper, tarakihi and butterfly perch. Red and painted moki and numerous wrasses amongst the rocks. Nice sponge gardens for macro photography at 30 metres and a few scattered crayfish.

DOGGER BANK

Whangamata
Depth Range: 16-30m
Some colourful patches with nudibranchs on the deeper rocks and plenty of reef fish. Only diveable with light or no wind. Occasional current. Very large reef with kelp cover. Watch for nylon fishing line. Often nests of crayfish under the larger boulders and in the cracks. Schools of kahawai and mackerel often overhead with kingfish in summer.

MANAIA WRECK

Off Slipper Island
Depth Range: 0-15m
Nudibranchs include gold-lined, Wellington, clown and apricot varieties. Exposed to easterly swells and strong winds. Still quite a few bits of the ship scattered around the boulders and kelp. Plenty of juvenile fish including blue maomao, sweep and spotties.

WATCHMAN ROCK

Off Slipper Island
Depth Range: 0-20m
The shaded sides of the reefs have a profusion of sponges, anemones and ascidians. Good place for at least six species of nudibranch. Exposed to northerly swells and strong winds. Some current. Nice patch of reef with quite a few crayfish and yellow and grey moray eels.

TEN-METRE PINNACLE

Off Slipper Island
Depth Range: 0-20m
Nudibranchs amongst the sponges on the wall. Plentiful reef fish. Exposed to northerly and easterly swells and strong winds. Some current. Beware of fishing line in kelp. Nice crayfish holes and cracks. Schools of blue maomao, mackerel and trevally around the top of the pinnacle and a few kingfish in summer.

NORTH SHOE ISLAND

Shoe Island, Tairua
Depth Range: 20-30m
Blue maomao and butterfly perch and numerous red moki. Some good macro photography subjects on the lower wall. Best with no swell and light wind. A few kingfish in the kahawai and mackerel schools in summer. Nice invertebrate wall with yellow moray eels sharing the holes with crayfish.

PUMPKIN REEF

Tairua, Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 0-20m
Spotties, wrasses, red moki and leatherjackets plus the occasional snapper. Clown and variable nudibranchs for the macro photographer. Best dived with no swell and offshore or light wind. Patches of rocky reef with kina barrens in the shallows and kelp forest below 6 metres.

GOLF BALL

Tairua, Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 0-20m
Often large stingrays on the sand in summer. Best with no swell or wind off the sea.  Kelp-covered rocky reef with occasional crayfish underneath. Reef fish life is mainly spotties, red moki and banded wrasse but a few snapper and leatherjackets. Some colourful rock faces near the sand with sponges, anemones and nudibranchs.

ORCA BAY

The Alderman Islands
Depth Range: 20-30m
Black angelfish, red moki and a few wrasses are among the abundant reef fish life. Colourful anemones under some shaded boulders. Exposed to north east wind and swell. Nice patch of reef with thick kelp forest. A few crayfish under the boulders plus yellow moray and conger eels.

MACGREGOR'S REEF

The Alderman Islands
Depth Range: 10-20m
Sponges, anemones, ascidians and hydroids on the wall. A few large crayfish in the cracks. Exposed to swells and strong winds. Reasonable strong current. Kingfish common in summer in schools of pelagics. Plenty of reef fish including porcupine fish amongst the kelp.

STINGRAY ROCK

The Alderman Islands
Depth Range: 8-35m
A few crayfish in the cracks. Stingrays swarm around in early summer. Very exposed to swells and any strong wind. Some current. Nice wall with plenty of fish life. Kingfish and kahawai in summer. Schools of blue maomao and butterfly perch on the walls. Sponges and other invertebrate life on the deeper part of the wall.

CASTLE ISLAND

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 0-40m+
In clear water during summer this dive is exceptional. Exposed on most winds and swells. Slopes off to 50 metres with a couple of bubble caves on northwest side. Some crayfish. Butterfly perch, splendid perch, golden snapper, moki, pink maomao plus large schools of kingfish, kahawai, trevally, mackerel and stingrays.

HEREHERETAURA PINNACLE

Hahei, Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 5-22m
Best for macro photography at the lower end of the wall amongst the sponges. Exposed to easterly swells and strong winds. Some current. Steep colourful walls with a few cracks but only the occasional crayfish. Red moki, marblefish, black angelfish and many others.

SOUTH SUNK ROCK

Hahei, Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 0-30m
Easily the best dive in the area. Exposed to strong winds and swell from south and east. Large anemone-covered green lipped mussels, swim-throughs and crevices, fan sponges and a 20 metre drop off. Abundant big marble fish, hiwihiwi, red moki, leatherjackets and silver drummer. Large schools of  kingfish and mackerel in the summer. Some large crayfish in the holes.

GEMSTONE BAY

Hahei, Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 5-8m
A series of buoys with photographs to help identify the marine life. This bay is sheltered from most winds.  Large boulders with seaweed dropping to white sand where huge snapper and crayfish are abundant. Also a number of blue cod which are great to photograph as they are exceptionally friendly. Stingrays and eagle rays are common in the summer.

TOWER ROCK

Hahei, Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 5-18m
Open to strong wind and easterly swells. A few kahawai and kingfish in summer and yellow moray eels, moki, leatherjackets and John dory on the broken reef.  A few crayfish to look at under the rocks and nudibranchs to photograph. Occasional pufferfish amongst the kelp forest.

MOTUMANGA

Mercury Bay, Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 5-25m
Very exposed to strong winds. Occasional kingfish in summer. The reef drops steeply on to sand with cracks and crevices for crayfish but they are usually small and hard to find. Plenty of reef fish and some nudibranchs and sea shells amongst the sponges and anemones on the wall.

MATAPAUA BAY

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 5-15m
Very sheltered from all but southerly wind. Spotties the most common fish. Rocky reef with bare patches on top and kina. Crayfish occasionally in the cracks and under the rocks. Still a few scallops on the sand, especially around the rocky outcrops.

OPITO BAY

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 8-20m
Not diveable with easterly or northerly swell or strong wind. Beware of boats and dredges.  Still patches of scallops plus stingrays in summer, snake eels and goatfish. Nice clean scallop bottom but it gets worked hard.

WHALE ROCK

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 8-30m
Quite a few crayfish and excellent reef fish life. Best dived with no swell and light winds. Often some current. In summer very large boil-ups of baitfish bring in the kingfish. Patches of kelp covered reef and steep drop-off with sponges, ascidians, anemones and clown, apricot and Jason nudibranchs amongst many others.

OHINAU ISLAND

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 8-25m
 Crayfish in the cracks and scallops on the sand. Scarlet wrasse, pigfish, giant boarfish and blue moki on the deeper reefs. Nudibranchs abound on the underhangs amongst the invertebrate life. Protected from swells but very exposed to strong winds. A few schools of pelagics mainly in summer. Nice kelp forest over rocky reef that drops to sand at 22 metres.

BLACK ROCKS

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 5-20m
Colourful invertebrate life on the steep rock faces below 15 metres. Often sheltered from swells but open to wind from the west and south. Schools of pelagics that attract kingfish in summer. Nice ups and downs over kelp reefs where red, blue and painted moki, numerous wrasses, pigfish and porae are see.

DANGER ROCK

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 5-30m
Nice coloured wall of sponges and anemones plus occasional Jason and other nudibranchs. Often produces a few crayfish. Best dived with no swell and light winds. Often strong current. Nice patch of reef with steep drop-off and swim throughs. Red moki, porae, leatherjackets, scarlet wrasse, blue maomao, butterfly perch and demoiselles.

VON LUCKNER'S COVE

Mercury Islands
Depth Range: 0-18m
Not good in large swells or strong winds. Plenty of pelagics and reef fish plus nudibranchs for photographers. Deep gut along the northern edge of cove and a nice wall along southern edge. Good weed covered boulder country with shelf like structure that hides crayfish. The cove also provides a good sheltered spot for a surface interval.

KAWHITU ISLAND

Mercury Islands
Depth Range: 8-30m
Crayfish and moray eels in the cracks on the walls which are covered in life. Some shelter but still a bit exposed to big swells and strong winds. Scarlet, green, orange and Sandager’s wrasses all seen here plus many other reef fish. Long-finned boarfish in the deep areas.

GREEN ISLAND

Mercury Islands
Depth Range: 0-15m
A few pelagic fish but schools of blue and pink maomao and butterfly perch most common. Nice colourful rocks at the 15 metre mark. Quite exposed to swells and strong winds. Good patch of reef that often turns up a few crayfish including some large ones.

BUMPER POINT

Great Mercury Island
Depth Range: 0-18m
Exposed to north and easterly swells and strong winds. Plenty of broken ground to find crayfish. A few yellow moray eels in the same holes. Plenty for macro photographers too. Best dived at slack water due to strong current. Large number of reef fish including blue moki, giant and long-finned boarfish.

CORALIE BAY

Great Mercury Island
Depth Range: 0-30m
Very sheltered bay except in strong easterlies. Drops off deep outside with large area of reef at entrance to bay. Some nice wall areas for macro photography. Schools of blue and pink maomao plus blue moki and giant boarfish deeper. Crayfish and moray eels often in the same cracks.

HOME BAY COVE

Great Mercury Island
Depth Range: 3-12m
Sheltered from all but strong wind from the west. Nice scallop bed that is easily snorkelled. A few patches of reef around it and the odd large stingray. Goatfish and flatfish often seen.

THE BOOKCASE

Great Mercury Island
Depth Range: 0-30m
Exposed to swells and strong winds. Nice wall dive to sand. Beware of serge on the corner closest to Great Mercury. Nice long cracks and crevices and interesting rock formations around the inside corner all of which have crayfish. Schools of pelagics and reef fish plus sponges, ascidians, anemones and nudibranchs on the wall.

NEVER FAIL REEF

Great Mercury Island
Depth Range: 5-30m
Crayfish and Spanish lobsters in the cracks. Best not dived in any wind or swell. Often strong current. Awesome fish life with schools of kahawai, trevally, blue and pink maomao, butterfly perch and tarakihi. Very colourful walls of sponge, anemone and other invertebrate life with apricot and Jason nudibranchs.

MOTUPOTAKA ISLAND

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 5-25m
Colourful walls of anemones and sponges plus a few reef fish. Very exposed to strong wind from any direction and swell from the north. Steep reef dropping to broken rocky bottom. Some mussels and kina at the top. Vertical cracks hide reasonable numbers of crayfish.

WAITETE BAY

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 6-10m
Best if no wind from the west. Usually some boat traffic so take a flag and float if diving from shore. Good scallop bed but gets a lot of attention. Odd snapper over the bed and stargazers buried in the sand.

MOTURUA ISLAND

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 5-20m
Not diveable in any strong wind or large swell from the north. Some mussels in the shallows at the edge of the kina barrens. Crayfish under the larger rocks. Quite nice colour towards the lower part of reef. A few scallops on the sand.

MOTUORUHI ISLAND

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 3-18m
Not diveable in any strong wind from the west or south. Often strong current away from the rocks. Schools of kahawai and occasional kingfish. Large kelp forest over the reef. A few crayfish in the holes and cracks. Nice colour below 15 metres although silt covers much of it. Quite a few nudibranchs for macro photographers.

WAIMATE ISLAND

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 12-18m
Comments: Reasonably sheltered but not good in any strong wind. Visibility usually less than 5 metres and some current. Be aware of boat traffic, especially in summer. Good scallop bed on sandy, shelly mud bottom. Not much fish life apart from stingrays.

COW ISLAND

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 5-20m
Open to any strong wind apart from easterly. Often limited visibility. Very occasional crayfish amongst the rocky reef. Kelp often has a layer of silt that clouds up when disturbed. Reasonable scallop bed amongst rocks on muddy sand.

TE KOUMA

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 10-20m
Best dived with no wind or light easterly. Visibility often poor and some current. Beware of boat traffic in summer. Good scallop bed but mud easily stirred up. Best to swim into any current and let mud clouds drift behind.

MOTUHUA POINT

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 5-20m
Best dived when the wind is offshore and there is no swell. Large area of broken reef with kelp cover and a few gutters. Crayfish often in the deeper holes so take a torch. A few schools of juvenile fish over the kelp but not many large ones. Shaded sides of large rocks have good macro walls for photography.

WHANGAPOUA BAY

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 8-15m
Best dived when the wind is offshore and there is no swell. Very clean sandy bottom with reasonable scallop numbers. Often a few octopus holes and snake eels to photograph plus gem nudibranchs on the sand.

MOTUTO POINT

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 0-12m
Usually protected from all but easterly wind and swells. Nice little patch of shallow reef with kahawai and blue maomao around and often kingfish in summer. Red moki, spotties and banded wrasse are the most common reef fish.  Colourful invertebrates and triplefins for macro photography plus the bonus of a crayfish and a few scallops.

KENNEDY BAY

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 5-20m
Usually protected in the bay but exposed to swells and wind outside. Rocky reefs with a few crayfish. Reef drops to clean sand and scallops. Best between the rocks where the dredges don’t go. Snapper, wrasses, blue cod, leatherjackets and John dory. Best photography is at the edge of the reef on the shaded walls.

TOKAROA ROCK

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 3-20m
Usually sheltered from all but easterlies. Nice area of reef on the inside of the rock for snorkelling. Undulating reef with kelp that drops gradually along gullies and crevices. A few crayfish and plenty of reef fish especially red moki. Undersides of rocks have anemone gardens and sea shells.

HAUPAPA POINT PINNACLE

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 12-35m
This site is very exposed to any swells or strong wind and there is often some current. Usually schools of trevally and mackerel around plus kingfish in summer. Below the kelp the walls have plenty of colourful invertebrates for macro photography including Apricot and Jason nudibranchs. Reef fishes abound plus red and packhorse crayfish in the holes.

WEST POINT

Cuvier Island
Depth Range: 5-30m
Very exposed to any swells or strong wind. Some current when tide runs. Undulating rocky reef with kelp forest. Numerous black sea urchins. Crayfish in the caves and cracks along with yellow and grey moray eels. Lots of pelagics, reef fish and colourful walls. Scallops are deep but plentiful.

KAWETOTO REEF

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 5-18m
Protected from all but easterly swells and wind. Nice rocky reef covered in kelp dropping to sand. Usually some mackerel, sweep and blue maomao around the reef. Red moki, banded wrasse, spotties and other reef fish. Scallops amongst the rocks off the edge of the reef.

THREE METRE ROCK

Coromandel Peninsula
Depth Range: 3-35m
Very exposed to any swells or strong winds. Some current. Often large schools of fish around with kingfish hunting through them. Below the kelp the walls are very colourful. Red and packhorse crayfish in the cracks. Scarlet wrasse, marblefish, red moki and many other varieties of reef fish here.