The Top Dive Sites in Rarotonga
Get your weight belt on because there are a whole lot of dive sites to explore around Rarotonga! From relaxing coral bommies to epic wreck dives to dramatic drop-offs into the deep, there is plenty of variety to be had. Needless to say, one dive is never enough, so take a look at the sort of underwater expeditions you could be venturing on this list of the best places to dive in Rarotonga!
Note that we have mainly included northern and western dive sites because the southeasterly prevailing wind often makes the south and east coast unsuitable for diving – and we don’t want to get your hopes up too high, now.
Who to Dive With in Rarotonga
Rarotonga has three very competent scuba diving operations and dive shops that can take you to any of the following dive sites with speed thanks to the multiple boat launch points around Rarotonga. It rarely takes more than 15 minutes to get to a dive site! See who to dive with using the 5 Best Dive Shops & Operators in Rarotonga & the Cook Islands.
1. Ednas Anchor
See a perfectly preserved anchor on the seabed in front of Trader Jack’s, which is surprisingly not from the nearby Matai Shipwreck but from the schooner, Edna, which later sunk in Atiu. See the huge anchor between two coral bommies along with all sorts of colourful reef fish. The dive follows a sandy slope lined with coral running alongside. Most diver levels can enjoy the dive until it gets to the ultra-deep sandy drop-off that drops dramatically to 65m (213ft).
Depth: 12-40m (39-131ft)
Coast: North coast
© Dive Rarotonga - Cook Islands Tourism2. Goldmine
Although there’s no gold to be found here (Goldmine is named after the jewellery shop that the dive site sits across from in Avarua), you’ll still feel rich after an experience diving with turtles and alongside vibrant coral bommies.
Depth: 15-25m (49-82ft)
Coast: North coast
© Taniera - Cook Islands Tourism3. Labyrinth (The Maze, Dave’s Cave and Blackrock Tunnels)
Going by many names, Labyrinth is a shallow dive that goes through a cave system underneath the surf zone that stretches from the airport runway to Black Rock. Although the dive is shallow at 10m (33ft), it can only be done safely in relatively calm seas. Once you’re in the cave system, enjoy spotting lionfish, shellfish and crayfish.
Depth: 10m (33ft)
Coast: West coast
© Dive Rarotonga - Cook Islands Tourism4. MV Mataora Wreck
There are many exciting wreck dives in Rarotonga, with the MV Mataora Wreck arguably being one of the best. This cargo schooner was purposely sunk to create an artificial reef, so make the most of it by exploring the surrounding hard corals and investigating its bow and stern that was originally part of a 45m (148ft)-long ship.
Depth: 10-25m (33-82ft)
Coast: North coast
© Pixabay5. Papua Passage
One of the easiest and best dives on the south side of Rarotonga, Papua Passage offers an excellent chance of seeing eagle rays in their masses, as well as turtles.
Depth: 12-17m (39-56ft)
Coast: South coast
© Taniera - Cook Islands Tourism6. Black Rock
Located right in front of the also popular snorkelling site, Black Rock features a series of reef plateaus rising from the sea bed. Dive among healthy coral bommies on this dive with interesting swim-throughs.
Depth: 12-28m (39-92ft)
Coast: West coast
© CookIslandsPocketGuide.com7. Avaavaroa Drop-Off
One of the best of many drop-off dives on Rarotonga, the Avaavaroa Drop-Off is an impressive dive where you swim along a sand channel to the drop-off into the deep blue along with amazing sharks, eagle rays, schools of tuna, lionfish, parrotfish and much more!
Depth: 16-40m (52-131ft)
Coast: South coast
© Taniera - Cook Islands Tourism8. Matavera Wall
One of the few east coast sites worth scouting out, the Matavera Wall is a fun and relatively easy drop-off starting at 12m (39ft) then dropping to about 35m (115ft) before the bottom slopes into the unknown. Look out for moray eels, scorpionfish, turtles and more. You can also team this dive with the Matavera Point dive site which drops to the further depths of 40m (131ft).
Depth: 12-30m (39-98ft)
Coast: East coast
© DH - Cook Islands Tourism9. Maritime Reefer Wreck
Another wreck purposely sunk to create an interesting dive site and artificial reef, the FV Maritime Reefer is scattered all over the place due to storm damage but you can still make out the stern, rudder and propeller. All the usual marine suspects are here to see, including lionfish, moral eel and the occasional shark.
Depth: 8m-12m (26-39ft)
Coast: West coast
© Dive Rarotonga - Cook Islands Tourism10. Sunset Reef and Lava Tubes
A dive site in Rarotonga enjoyed by all, Sunset Reef or Sunset Lava Tubes is a large coral shelf sitting 5m (16ft) to 18m (59ft) below the surface. There are lava tunnels and swim-throughs to explore where you’ll find nudibranchs, lionfish, scorpionfish, anemones and cowrie shells.
Depth: 5-25m (16-82ft)
Coast: West coast
© DH - Cook Islands Tourism15 More Dive Sites and Places to Dive in Rarotonga
Now that we have gone through our top picks for epic dive sites in Rarotonga. The best of the rest include:
- Ngatipa – North Coast, 10-28m
- Matai Shipwreck – North Coast, 10m
- Avatiu Drop Off – North Coast, 12-40m
- Panama – North Coast, 15-22m
- Swiss Reef – North Coast, 12-20m
- Runway – West Coast, 18-26m
- Arorangi Passage – West Coast, 12m
- Arorangi Drop Off – West Coast, 20-30m
- Pinnacles – South Coast, 20-30m
- Rutaki Passage – South Coast, 20-29m
- Rutaki Drop-Off – South Coast, 20m+
- Papua Drop-Off – South Coast, 12-40m
- Queens Reef – South Coast, 18-25m
- Ngatangiia School – East Coast, 12-30m
- Tupapa Sand River – East Coast, 18-35m
More About Scuba Diving in Rarotonga
Sounds like a sweet scuba diving trip, right? Now plan the rest of your scuba journey using the following guides:
- The Best Time to Dive in Rarotonga & the Cook Islands
- Learn to Dive in the Cook Islands: A Guide to Scuba Diving Certifications
- The Best Scuba Diving in Aitutaki: Top 20 Places to Scuba Dive.
Finally, plan all the logistics of your trip to Rarotonga using The Complete Travel Guide to Rarotonga and find more experiences using the 50 Best Things to Do on Rarotonga.
