Diving the Poor Knights
The Poor Knights Islands are rated as world class dive sites, most times classified in the top 10 best dive sites in the world. They are the remains of a group of ancient volcanoes. The ocean and time have turned these volcanoes into the beautiful maze of caves, tunnels and cliffs that they are today. The location is considered one of the most important offshore marine and nature reserves in New Zealand. Access is restricted to very limited groups – mostly scientific researchers and one diving center.
Start of the day
The day started early for us at around 6am. We had a very good night rest at the Quality Hotel Oceans Tutukaka and a gorgeous view greeted us when we pulled the curtains aside. A variety of warm colors had filled up the morning sky over the marina in this cool March morning. After we packed our bags, we went down to the hotel restaurant for a tasty fresh breakfast.
The dive center that we had booked our dives with (Dive Tutukaka), was not more than 200 meters from the hotel. We got there as instructed at 8 am. where we had to fill in and sign a few forms in regard to our diving skills and certification. The dive center was super busy – tens of divers and snorkelers were trying on gear. We had our own gear with us so we could just sit back and relax until it was time to set off. It was not long until we headed to the boat.
On board of Diversity
The skipper of the catamaran – Jack Terei, welcomed us and pointed us to the general briefing area. After a quick, casual lecture about the general safety, trip duration and lunch arrangements after, we departed. The weather was sunny and warm, and the ocean was calm. We could only feel the cool morning breeze – it was a perfect day to dive. As we had booked guided dives, it was time to meet with our instructor who briefed us in a couple of additional procedures. From that point it was a 30-minutes ride to the Poor Knights islands.Â
The catamaran was absolutely crowded with divers from all over the world and with different levels of experience. At some point during the ride, our guide gathered us along with the rest of our small sub group. We discussed the plan for the first dive, the marine life which we may encounter, the currents, and landscapes.
For the majority of the ride we were sitting on the upper deck next to the skipper. We were admiring the beautiful view while he was telling funny stories. A really nice guy.
Once we anchored among the islands, the crew started preparing the teams and our gear. This meant it was time to suit up. We quickly jumped into our wetsuits and geared up.
Diving Poor Knights – Fraggle Rock
The first out of two dives for the day was at a small reef right in the middle of the Poor Knights called Fraggle Rock. After a final buddy check we started entering the water. We had already done a few boat dives, but this one was a bit different as the boat was much bigger. Nevertheless, we entered the water with ease. I must say I expected the water to be colder, but it turned out to be quite warm and I felt very comfortable.
We submerged quickly, and luckily, we did not have issues with equalizing. We started exploring the area, following our guide among the kelp covering the bottom. The water was very calm and the visibility was great. Our dive was up to depths of around 16-17 meters, which is quite shallow. We encountered a couple of eels, snappers, groupers, scorpion fish and sea urchins. The sea urchins are not typical for this area and because of that they do not have any natural predators. Many of the creatures which can be seen there are just temporary visitors. Some, however, take up permanent residency. A survey published in 1982 found that a quarter of the fish species encountered at the Poor Knights were not common along the adjacent Northland coast. The water temperature there is normally a degree cooler than it is by the islands.
We were expecting to see rays which are also common for this location, but unfortunately, we were not that lucky. Instead we were followed by a colourful and inquisitive Sandagers wrasse. This is an ambassador for the Poor Knights and often follows divers around. It got even more curious when our instructor started knocking two rocks together.
The dive took us around 40 minutes. This, generally speaking, is not long for the 12l aluminium tanks we used. The skipper helped us get back on board the catamaran and get out of our gear.
Once everyone was back on board, it was time for a break. Warm beverages and healthy snacks helped us recover our strength. The dive center offers to pack lunch on demand, but we had prepared our own so there was no need to order one.
Diving Poor Knights – MaoMao Arch Cave
During our break, the skipper took us to our next diving location – the Blue MaoMao Arch. Blue MaoMao Arch is the main attraction of the Poor Knights Islands. It is actually the main reason why Jacques Cousteau ranked the islands number 7 in his Top 10! You can enter the shallow arch (7-8m deep) from both sides. One goes underneath a huge boulder, the other is through a big staircase made of rocks.
The current at this location was quite strong and we had no previous experience with such conditions. То be honest, this made me a little bit anxious. The guide and the skipper briefed us on the routine that we needed to go through in order to reach the entry point of the dive location. Meaning that we simply had to swim in a different direction, and the current would take care of the rest.
We got into the water holding on to a rope to avoid being dragged by the current. Once every member of our group was in the water, we headed to the entry point where we started the descent. The beginning of the dive, as was the majority of the dive, was fairly shallow – around 6-7 meters. We went along the outside of the cave’s wall to reach the entrance. From there we were facing stunningly beautiful views. The direct light at that time of the day was peeking through holes at the top of the cave and was casting beautiful underwater shadows.
After we got to the deepest point of our dive, around 16-17meters, we started ascending to more shallow waters. We could see the group of divers who went in before us, as well as some snorkelers that entered the cave from the opposite side. Large groups of mao mao fish were swimming uninterruptedly above our heads. The beautifully cast light was painting amazing pictures. Everything was so quiet. The blue calmness surrounding us made us feel free of all negativity and all my anxiety disappeared. It was absolute pleasure!
Once we got outside of the cave, we were once again met by the strong current. We had to kick hard to escape its pull. As we had some air left, the guide decided to show us around the shallow area. This turned out to be great idea as we encountered a few big snappers in the distance and a couple of rays.
Once we reached 40psi, we started ascending and we got safely back to the catamaran. By the time we unloaded our gear and got some hot beverages, everyone else had gotten on board as well. The skipper started the engine and told us we are in for a surprise. Wow, what surprise could have that been?
Exploring Rico Rico cave
The catamaran took off slowly, circling around those big cliffs and heading to a different part of the islands. Suddenly, we spotted a small cave entrance at the sea level. It turned out it was not that small, as the catamaran went straight into the cave. This was the famous Rico Rico cave.
The Rico Rico Cave is the largest known sea cave in the world. The skipper told us a very interesting story. Visiting the cave was serving as a mana regeneration ritual for the old Maori people, when they were about to go into a battle. The acoustics inside the cave created some awesome effects. One can experience a short imaginary trip through the ages in there.
Another cool thing about the cave is the way the light bounces off the water upon entry and then on to the walls. Because of this, the vegetation that is on the ceiling and walls grows upside down.
After we took some pictures inside the cave, it was time to head back to the Tutukaka marina.
Overview
Overall diving Poor Knight has exceeded all our expectations. We are willing to believe Jacques Cousteau, when he rated the area as one of the top ten dives in the world!
Things to consider:
- The dive center can get very busy and personal attention may not be possible all the time
- The dive center is very big and offers a great variety of gear for all sizes and tastes
- You can order lunch for the day trip from the diving center. It should be requested in advance
- Depending on the season, water can get a bit cooler. So mind your protection system and thickness. Check out our gear for reference.
- Currents can be quite strong, as it was on our second dive
Enjoy diving the Poor Knights!
Great post, great pictures, what a wonderful place, I’ll add that to our list 🙂
Thank you, Lynne 🙂
Wow. Great story. Fascinating to hear and see the amazing things you explored and saw while diving. Very inspirational. Hopefully one day I will try diving myself.
Thank you, Michael! You should definitely try diving – it is an amazing experience 🙂
one of my life goals, to dive! thanks for sharing this article and under water world
Hi Jeannie! I hope you get the chance to achieve this goal soon!
Wow!!!! I miss travel so much. This sounds like a great place to see and dive! I’ve always snorkelled but would love to learn to scuba dive and see even more! Thank you for sharing such a beautiful experience.
Thanks, Megan! It is an amazing place to go diving or snorkeling indeed. And scuba diving opens up opportunities to see a whole new world 🙂
Wow the photos! Instantly made me want to dive into the sea. Nice travel story!
Hi Maiko,
Thanks! I am glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Such a beautiful place! Too bad that it’s so far away from me but I hope that one day I’ll be able to go there 🙂
Hi Wiola,
I can relate, it is on the other side of the world for me, but it is definitely worth being stuck on a plane for 24 hours 🙂
Wow this looks so beautiful! I have never been diving actually, but would love to learn and try sometime!
Thanks, Sarah! Diving allows you to explore an entirely different world. I highly recommend it!
I’ve never gone diving, but have been interested in giving it a go. Snorkeling is the closest I’ve been, but I really love that you can get that close to all the fish and sealife. What an incredible experience, and a beautiful place for a dive. That view from Rico Rico cave is amazing
I highly recommend diving, especially at a world-class site like the Poor Knights 🙂
I’ve always wanted to go diving, but haven’t yet had the chance. The Poor Knights Islands look absolutely incredible – If I ever find myself in NZ I’ll definitely consider diving here. Does the dive centre offer a dive course?
Hi Erin! We used Dive!Tutukaka and they are a big dive center, they offer all sorts of courses. I hope you can dive the Poor Knights – it is a fantastic site!
Wow this is awesome! Would love to take my husband here – he’s a geologist and would love the volcanic history!
Great post and loved your photos!! I am not a diver and am too afraid to try it, although I do enjoy snorkeling. But the caves and arches that youvisited are fantastic. I would so enjoy laying on a catamaran and sailing in that region.
Snorkeling can also be a lot of fun and a lot of interesting things can be seen where there is a lot of light – the first 15 meters. There were plenty of snorkelers in the Arch who were enjoying the schools of blue maomao fish 🙂
Diving is something I’ve always wanted to try but never really had a chance growing up in a landlocked country. But seeing your amazing photos I hope one day I can learn to dive and be able to see the amazing sea-life myself.
Diving is amazing and addictive, I am sure you will love it when you try 🙂