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Archway Island, Poor Knights Islands

Poor Knights Islands

Diving in New Zealand

9 documented dive sites, 3 of them for Open Water divers. Known for stingrays, eagle rays and yellowtail kingfish.

Best months
Dec–Apr
Water
14–23 °C
Levels
Open Water, Advanced, Experienced

Photo: Pseudopanax at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

When to go

Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.

Pick a month

  • Best
  • Good
  • Possible
  • Closed
  • Not documented yet

Poor Knights Islands in October

Good season
Sea
16 °C
at the surface
Air
17 °C
15 °C at night
Rain
100 mm
one of the wettest months
Wind
26 km/h
on average

Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.

Dived year-round. Summer (Dec–Apr) has the warmest water, stingray aggregations and the chance of pelagic visitors; May–Sep has the best visibility but water is 14–16 °C; Sep–Jan visibility can drop with salp/plankton blooms. The warm summer months are shown as best, the rest as good. No closed months.

Source: diving.co.nz

Dive sites in Poor Knights Islands

From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.

Open Water friendly

usual dive down to 18 m3 sites

For Advanced divers

usual dive down to 30 m2 sites

For experienced divers

usual dive down to 40 m4 sites

Marine life

When the big encounters happen, month by month.

SpeciesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
StingraysSource: divernet.com
Eagle raysSource: zubludiving.com
Whale sharksSource: diving.co.nz
Manta raysSource: diving.co.nz
Bronze whaler sharkSource: zubludiving.com
Humpback whalesSource: zubludiving.com
OrcasSource: zubludiving.com
TurtlesSource: zubludiving.com
  • Peak season
  • Seen

Stingrays: Jan–Apr. Eagle rays: May–Sep. Whale sharks: Dec–Mar. Manta rays: Dec–Mar. Bronze whaler shark: May–Sep. Humpback whales: May–Sep. Orcas: Nov–Apr. Turtles: Nov–Apr

Also reported here, season not documented yet:

  • Yellowtail kingfish
  • Blue maomao
  • Trevally
  • Nudibranchs
  • Moray eels
  • Snappers
  • Dolphins
  • Seals
  • Mola mola (sunfish)

Where is the Poor Knights Islands?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Poor Knights Islands (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

Poor Knights Islands: frequently asked questions

When is the best time to dive Poor Knights Islands?
The best months to dive Poor Knights Islands are Dec–Apr. Dived year-round. Summer (Dec–Apr) has the warmest water, stingray aggregations and the chance of pelagic visitors; May–Sep has the best visibility but water is 14–16 °C; Sep–Jan visibility can drop with salp/plankton blooms. The warm summer months are shown as best, the rest as good. No closed months.
Is Poor Knights Islands good for beginner divers?
Yes, partly: 3 of the 9 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Blue Maomao Arch, Middle Arch and The Gardens. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
What is the water temperature in Poor Knights Islands?
The water is usually between 14 °C and 23 °C over the year.
What marine life can you see in Poor Knights Islands?
Divers regularly see stingrays (Jan–Apr), eagle rays (May–Sep), yellowtail kingfish, blue maomao, trevally and nudibranchs.

About this page

Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.

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Photo: Sarah Lee on Unsplash
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