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Big Eyes Lair

Big Eyes Lair is one of our picks in the Bay of Islands, especially when you’re after something a bit different. The main draw here is a fantastic swim-through, kicking off around 24 metres and running for a good 35 metres before you pop out at 18 metres into a patch of kelpy boulders. It’s dark in there, properly dark in places, and we love how your torch beam picks out the big eyes of the resident Big Eye fish, alongside the odd scorpionfish tucked into a crevice. You’ll probably spot crayfish antennae waving from cracks, and if you’re lucky, a moray eel peering out. Visibility averages around 15 metres, which is decent enough for navigating the tunnel and checking out the Maomao and demoiselles schooling around the entrance and exit. We’d suggest a dive light even on a sunny day, just to appreciate the cave properly. It’s a great dive for anyone comfortable with confined spaces and keen to explore a natural tunnel rather than just a reef wall.