Adventure Cook Islands

★★★★☆ Matavera Point

Located just north of Matavera Wall, this site can be dived on it’s own as a deep dive or in conjunction with Matavera Wall. A reef plateau in around 20 metres sticks out into the blue and forms a corner where the currents meet. The drop off here is a vertical wall that keeps falling into the abyss. Depth 25 - 40m

★★★★★ Sunset Lava Tubes

A large coral shelf that rises from 18m to 5m below the surface. There is a cavern and small tunnel system with different overhead exit points to explore. Depth 10 – 20 metres

★★★☆☆ Runway

Located right in front of the runway. Several smaller reef plateaus with sandy trenches in between are the main features of this site. Depth 18 – 26m.

★★★★☆ R.M.S. Maitai

The 1892 built, 3400 tons steamship R.M.S. Maitai struck the reef outside Avarua Harbour on Christmas Day 1916. After over 100 years of resting just below the surf zone, the wreck is now part of the reef. The wreckage is scattered over a large area. Depth 10 metres

★★★★☆ Queens Reef

This is an easy dive that follows the drop-off in usually very clear water. It is frequently dived when visibility around the south-coast passages is reduced.

★★★★★ Matavera Wall

Lying just south of Matavera Point, this drop-off can be dived by experienced divers and total beginners alike. Starting at 12m, a 20m long near vertical wall drops off to about 35m from whereon the bottom slopes off into the abyss. Theis site has usually very clear water. Depth 12 - 30 metres

★★★★☆ Labyrinth

The site features a shallow tunnel and cavern system underneath the surf zone, stretching all the way from the Runway to Black Rock. This site is also known as Dave’s Cave, The Maze, Croc Caverns or Nikao Tunnels. The site can only be dived in very calm seas. Depth 10 metres

★★★★★ Avatiu Drop Off

This dive site is located just to the West of Avatiu Harbour. The site features a nice drop-off starting at around 18 metres and dropping off straight into the Abyss. Depth 12 - 40m

★★★★★ FV Maritime Reefer

The Fishing Vessel Maritime Reefer was the first ship on Rarotonga that got sunk (in 1981) to create a shipwreck site for divers. Laying in around 24 metres, this wreck has suffered major damage by numerous storms. Depth 20 - 30 metres

★★★★☆ Arorangi Drop Off

This site is situated in front of Arorangi Passage, this site features a gradually sloping reef with massive coral bommies to explore.Depth 18 - 30 metres

★★★★★ Ngatangiia School

The reef starts to slope off in around 15 metres, making this an easy drop-off dive even for the less experienced diver. For more experienced divers, there is a small swim through at 27 metres. Depth 16 - 30 metres

★★★★☆ Edna’s Anchor

The dive follows the sand/ reef edge towards the drop off. At about 22 metres, the sand starts to slope off like a ski slope. In 24 metres, in between 2 coral bommies, lays the big anchor of the schooner Edna which later sunk in Atiu. In 30 metres, the reef drops straight down to about 65 metres.

★★★★☆ Tupapa Sandriver

A sand channel with coral reef on both sides that starts in the surf zone and extends into the drop off. The northern side of the sand has a very steep wall, on the southern side the reef slopes off more gradually into the abyss. Depth 18 – 40 metres

★★★★★ Avarua Passage

Starting off from Edna’s Anchor mooring and following the sand/ reef edge towards shore. The sandy passage leads all the way into Avarua Harbour.

★★★★☆ M.V. Mataora

The MV Mataora was an outer island cargo schooner that was purposely sunk on the 11th December 1990 for divers. Originally 45m in length, the 300 tons vessel lays today in 10 to 18 metres of water. After many tropical cyclones the wreck is severely broken up, but the bow and stern are still recognisable today.