RSSThe year-round warm water with temperatures of between 23º and 30º, the easy accessibility and the circular shape of the island of Rarotonga allows divers to go out in virtually any weather to take advantage of shelter from rough wave action. There is a huge variety of coral and splendid visibility of 100 to 200 feet.
Rarotonga has implemented a Raui marine conservation program, and as a result the lagoon is abundant with all kinds of marine life and make good snorkeling. There is a wide range of diving sites including caves, wrecks and simple submarine terrain for beginners such as sand rivers.
For the professional diver, there are some excellent cave diving, drop-offs and a wide selection of living coral. Diving in the Cook Islands is mostly safe, as there are no deadly snakes, tiger or great white sharks, and the local divers are committed to ridding dive spots of the dreaded crown of thorns.
The favorite dive spots of Cook Islands are the Ngatangiia Swimthroughs, the Matavera Drop-Off, the Mataora Wreck, the Papua Canyon, the Sand River and the Koromiri Coral Garden. The abundant reef life among 73 types of live coral features hundreds of fish species, a bonanza for underwater photographers. The reef drop-off is the highlight for divers off Rarotonga, which begins at about 100 feet and plunges down to 12,000 feet.
