Diving Guide to Northland & Bay of Islands

About Northland & Bay of Islands

Northland and the Bay of Islands represent the birthplace of New Zealand diving, offering world-famous wreck diving, spectacular marine reserves, and some of the most historically significant underwater sites in the southern hemisphere. The region is home to the Rainbow Warrior, the iconic Greenpeace flagship scuttled in 1985 that has become one of the most famous artificial reefs on Earth. Nearby, two New Zealand Navy frigates, HMNZS Canterbury and HMNZS Waikato, provide additional world-class wreck diving at accessible depths. The Cavalli Islands, Cape Brett, and the Karikari Peninsula offer dramatic walls, pinnacles, and channels teeming with kingfish, trevally, and bronze whaler sharks. The Bay of Islands itself provides sheltered diving among numerous islands with seal encounters, kelp forests, and excellent macro life. The warm subtropical currents that reach this far south create a unique marine environment where tropical and temperate species coexist. With multiple dive operators based in Paihia, Tutukaka, and the surrounding towns, this region offers the most accessible and diverse diving in New Zealand.

Highlights

• ✓Rainbow Warrior Wreck: the iconic Greenpeace flagship at 18 to 26 metres, now a vibrant artificial reef covered in jewel anemones
• ✓HMNZS Canterbury and HMNZS Waikato: two navy frigates scuttled as dive wrecks providing massive underwater structures
• ✓Cape Brett walls with gorgonian gardens, schooling kingfish, and occasional bronze whaler shark encounters
• ✓The Pinnacles at Cape Karikari: deep-water pinnacles with huge kingfish schools and seasonal manta rays
• ✓Hole in the Rock at Piercy Island: scenic diving and snorkelling with New Zealand fur seals

Getting There

Drive from Auckland approximately 3 hours to Paihia or 4 hours to Tutukaka Coast