Bird Rock
Protected Area
Oke Bay
Why dive here
With 163+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, blue whales, dolphins, great white sharks and hammerhead sharks - Bird Rock offers some of Bay of Islands's richest reef diving.
Director's Bay is one of those spots we always point people to for an easy, rewarding shore dive. You’re kicking out over a sandy slope that slowly drops to the reef wall, which eventually meets up with the Tugboat site if you head west. That wall is where the real show starts; we’ve found some fantastic macro life tucked into the crevices there. Think tiny nine-lined gobies, often a spotfin dragonet or two, and the vibrant orange ball corallimorphs clinging to the overhangs. Keep an eye out for a hawksbill turtle cruising by – they’re fairly regular visitors here. Our favourite way to dive it is early morning. The light paints the corals beautifully, and you often have the place to yourself before the day boats arrive. The current is usually mild, making it a relaxed drift along the wall if there’s any push. It's a fantastic site for photographers focusing on small stuff, but the sheer number of creole wrasse and schoolmasters makes for a lively wider scene too. Maximum depth around 21 metres means plenty of bottom time, and the average 22-metre visibility rarely disappoints.
Typical Bird Rock Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Safety Notes
Always perform a 3-minute safety stop at 5m before surfacing.
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Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Bird Rock
Bird Rock Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for Bird Rock, sourced from NOAA buoy data - nearest station: Open-Meteo grid (-35.21, 174.19) (0km away)
August Averages
Air Temperature
13.28°C
56°F
Wind Speed
7.8 m/s
15.2 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1018.9 hPa
Based on 5 years of monitoring data · Data sources: NOAA NDBC
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