Baxter’s Reef

Great bay to spend the afternoon on the south side of the Kaikoura Peninsula! The entry point in an “v“ shape cut out in the reef by old whalers. That whole sheltered area is a great place to spear fish and explore. Depths extend to 14m in high tide in some areas.

Off the east coast of the peninsula, launch from The South Bay Marina. The point that resembles a Sharks Tooth the bays north from there. Also known as Whalers Bay.

8 minute drive from Daves Diving Kaikoura behind the Fyffe House. Entry/Exit point is located at the old boat ramp that is deused. Note that Boats launch from the beach do take care. The yellow ’No Fishing’ Buoy is a reference for you surface swim.

A rough walk over the rocky peninsular of Kaikoura with a difficult entry. Swim through a kelp forest and rock formations with swim throughs and small caves to explore. With many entry and exit points this dive site can be enjoyed many times. Surge and swell can make this dive tricky especially the entry and exit.

A very sheltered spot that is normally only used when weather prevents diving elsewhere. It is surrounded by boating exclusion buoys so it is very safe.

The Koi is a 32-meter vessel from Scotland, built in 1912 and sunk in 1940. Originally a passenger ship travelling between Motueka and Nelson, it was later converted into a coal ship. She now lies in 12 meters of water and is a great dive site for macro photography!

Double Cove is a marine reserve located in the beautiful Queen Charlotte Sound. This site is ideal for beginners and training, as it is quite sheltered with depths from 9 down to 18m. Entry to the water is by boat or small jetty.

Lochmara is home to a local reef conservation project helping regenerate kelp, as well as an underwater observatory. The area around the observatory shows a great representation of Inner Sound fish species. During our surface intervals, guests can explore the Lochmara Lodge bush and wildlife conservation project.

Allports Island is an uninhabited island reaching a height of 79 meters. The water is deep around the whole coast of the island and is great for deep diving. The site is suitable for all levels of diving. Mostly used for deep-dive training.

The Mikhail Lermontov is one of the biggest cruise ship dives in the world. Sunk under mysterious circumstance in 1986, it has become a world class wreck dive suitable for divers from beginner all the way to technical. The Lermontov lies in a remote sheltered bay at the top of New Zealand’s South island.