GEM STONE BAY
Protected Area
Whanganui A Hei
Why dive here
With 72+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, dolphins, hammerhead sharks, humpback whales and seahorses - GEM STONE BAY offers some of Goat Island & Hauraki Gulf's richest reef diving. Water ranges 15-21°C, warmest January, February, March.
Gem Stone Bay, tucked into the Hahei Marine Reserve, feels like stepping back in time to how New Zealand’s coast used to be. For a site with a maximum depth of just nine metres, it’s remarkably lively. We love drifting through the kelp, watching big snapper eye us up; they’re bold here, sometimes nipping at anything shiny. It’s a gentle dive, perfect for photographers or anyone who just wants to soak in the incredible recovery of a protected area. We’ve seen massive red rock lobster tucked into crevices and schools of triplefins flitting between the fronds. Keep an eye out for a Southern reef squid darting past. Visibility averages eight metres, which is decent for a shallow bay, but we always try to hit it on a calm day for the best experience. It’s a no-take zone, of course, and the marine life here really shows what a difference that makes.
Nearest Dive Centres to GEM STONE BAY
Dive shops near GEM STONE BAY
Cathedral Cove Dive Ltd
Dive Zone Whitianga
Salt Aotearoa
Reviews for GEM STONE BAY
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for GEM STONE BAY
GEM STONE BAY Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for GEM STONE BAY, sourced from Open-Meteo marine data + Copernicus Marine (EU) - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (-36.93, 175.86) (22km away)
October Averages
Sea Temperature
16°C
60°F · Range: 14.5–16.9°C
Current Speed
1.41 cm/s
Direction: SE (135°)
Chlorophyll-a
0.497 mg/m³
Moderate productivity
Salinity
34.91 PSU
Based on 4 years of monitoring data · Data sources: Open-Meteo marine data + Copernicus Marine (EU)
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