The Best Scuba Diving in the Cook Islands: Top 10 Places to Scuba Dive

Last Updated: 9 June, 2025

Where is the Best Diving in the Cook Islands?

Looking for your next tropical scuba diving destination? The Cook Islands is home to two breathtaking islands with dive boats at the ready to take you to the top Cook Islands’ dive sites! (Oh, and there are also 13 other islands in the Cook Islands for the more independent and uber-adventurous diver.) Where is the best diving in the Cook Islands?

Set your sights on the islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki, both with more than 20 named dive sites to explore.

We list our favourites here in the top 10 places to dive in the Cook Islands. See point #10 for a bonus dive site on one of the outer islands…

1. Labyrinth (Dave’s Cave, The Maze and Blackrock Tunnels)

Known by many names, Labyrinth is a shallow dive site featuring a fascinating network of caverns, tunnels, and swim-throughs beneath the surf zone, stretching from the airport runway to Black Rock. Although the dive reaches only about 10 m (10.9 yards) in depth, it should only be attempted in relatively calm sea conditions for safety.

As you explore the labyrinthine passages, keep an eye out for lionfish, shellfish, and crayfish.

Island: Rarotonga
Coast: West coast

The Best Scuba Diving in the Cook Islands: Top 10 Places to Scuba Dive

2. Arutanga Passage

Despite being the passage with the most boat traffic on the Aitutaki Lagoon, the Arutanga Passage is lined with amazing hard and plated corals. Home to parrotfish, angelfish and emperors within easy sight, a closer look will bring you across moray eels nestled in the crevasses of the canyon walls.

In the currents, expect to see eagle rays and turtles swimming by, as well as the odd reef shark toward the end of the passage.

Depths range from 8 m to 31 m (8.7 yards to 33.9 yards).

Book your dive with Dive Aitutaki to see what it’s all about!

Island: Aitutaki
Coast: West coast

3. 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, which was originally part of a 45 m (49.2 yards)-long ship.

Island: Rarotonga
Coast: North coast

4. Edna’s Anchor

See a perfectly preserved anchor on the seabed in front of Trader Jack’s—not from the nearby Maitai Shipwreck as one might expect, nor from the schooner Edna which later sank in Atiu, but from a much older shipwreck. The dive site is named after the Edna in honour of its historical connection to the area.

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 65 m (71.1 yards).

Island: Rarotonga
Coast: North coast

5. Black Rock (Aitutaki)

Not to be confused with the famous Black Rock of Rarotonga, Aitutaki’s Black Rock dive site is actually a wreck dive! This sunk barge on the west side of the lagoon, an easy boat ride from Arutanga, harbours all sorts of colourful pink and purple coral.

In between is an array of butterflyfish, emperors and even large Napoleon wrasse and barracuda as you reach the 20 m (21.9 yards) mark. Like most of the Aitutaki dive sites, there’s always likely to be a turtle to bubble “Kia Orana” to.

Island: Aitutaki
Coast: West coast

6. 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. Depths are from 15m to 25m (16.4-27.3 yards).

Island: Rarotonga
Coast: North coast

7. 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 5 m (5.5 yards) to 18 m (19.7 yards) below the surface. There are lava tunnels and swim-throughs to explore where you’ll find nudibranchs, lionfish, scorpionfish, anemones and cowrie shells.

Island: Rarotonga
Coast: West coast

8. 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! The depths on this dive range from 16 m to 40 m (17.5-43.7 yards).

Island: Rarotonga
Coast: South coast

9. Papua Passage

One of the easiest and best dives on the south side of Rarotonga, the Papua Passage offers an excellent chance of seeing eagle rays in their masses, as well as turtles. The depths on this dive range from 12 m to 17 m (13.1-18.6 yards).

Island: Rarotonga
Coast: South coast

10. Nurau Hohle

We leave the most adventurous to last! Nurau Hohle is a sinkhole leading down to a cave with an underground lake on the island of Atiu. It’s estimated that you can dive 50 m (54.7 yards) deep. Needless to say, you’ll need to be an experienced cave diver with your own equipment, as there are no scuba diving services on the island.

Learn more about Atiu’s creepy caves in the 5 Best Caves on Atiu.

Island: Atiu
Coast: East coast

More About Scuba Diving in the Cook Islands

Sounds like a sweet scuba diving trip to the Cook Islands, right? Now plan the rest of your scuba journey using the following guides:

Finally, plan all the logistics of your trip to the Cook Islands using The Best Cook Islands Travel Guide and find more experiences using the 101 Best Things to Do in the Cook Islands: The Ultimate List.

Sources:

The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across the Cook Islands and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:

Cook Islands Tourism Corporation (General travel advice - Updated [2025])
Cook Islands Tourism Industry Council (Tourism trade association - Updated [2025])
SPTO (Pacific tourism advice - Updated [2025])
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (Visa and immigration advice - Updated [2025])
Cook Islands Meteorological Service (Weather forecast and warnings - Updated [2025])
Ministry of Finance & Economic Management (Border restrictions advice - Updated [2025])
Ministry of Agriculture (Biosecurity advice - Updated [2025])
Cook Islands Statistics Office (Statistics and travel data - Updated [2025])
Ministry of Transport (Transport operators and licenses - Updated [2025])
Safe Travel (New Zealand travel advisory for the Cook Islands - Updated [2025])
Smart Traveller (Australia travel advisory for the Cook Islands - Updated [2025])

At Cook Islands Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.

About the Author

Laura S.

This article was reviewed and published by Laura, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Cook Islands Pocket Guide. Since arriving solo in the South Pacific over 10 years ago with nothing but a backpack and a background in journalism, her mission has been to show the world how easy (and awesome) it is to explore a paradise such as the Cook Islands. She knows the islands inside out and loves sharing tips on how best to experience Raro’s must-dos and hidden gems. Laura is also the editor of several other South Pacific travel guides.

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