Giant Boarfish Cave
Protected Area
Tamateatai Point
Why dive here
With 163+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, blue whales, dolphins, great white sharks and hammerhead sharks - Giant Boarfish Cave offers some of Bay of Islands's richest wall diving. Water ranges 16-22°C, warmest January, February, March.
Giant Boarfish Cave always puts a grin on our faces. The entrance sits at 15 metres, a dark slit in the rock, and from there it's a 20-metre swim-through. Inside, that’s where the magic happens. We’ve seen boarfish hanging in the gloom, their oversized eyes reflecting torchlight, often sharing the space with lazy big eyes and the occasional moray eel. The cave itself isn't too tight, giving you room to appreciate the natural architecture. Exiting at 18 metres, you spill out onto a vibrant reef wall. We love lingering here, watching demoiselles dart amongst the corals, and sometimes spotting a banded morwong or a luculentus wrasse poking around. Visibility typically hovers around 10 metres, which is decent for a cave dive in New Zealand. This spot is brilliant for Open Water divers looking for a safe, exciting cave experience, and Advanced divers who want to take their time exploring the intricate wall outside.
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Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Giant Boarfish Cave
Giant Boarfish Cave Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for Giant Boarfish Cave, sourced from Open-Meteo marine data - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (-35.24, 174.22) (2km away)
October Averages
Sea Temperature
16°C
61°F · Range: 14.9–16.8°C
Air Temperature
16°C
60°F
Wind Speed
7.43 m/s
14.4 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1019.1 hPa
Based on 4 years of monitoring data · Data sources: Open-Meteo marine data
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