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Log This Dive

South Bay Kaikoura

South Bay, just south of Kaikōura town, isn’t about huge depths or big pelagics – it’s a quiet kelp forest dive, and we really like it for that. The entry is a V-shaped cut, carved out by whalers back in the day, leading you into a sheltered little bay. It’s pretty shallow, topping out around 10 metres, even at high tide. What you get here is a rich, green world. You’ll weave through thick stands of kelp, sometimes so dense it feels like flying through a forest, and you'll spot plenty of local coastal fish. We've seen snapper cruising, butterfish peeking out from the fronds, and those tiny spotted robust triplefins darting about. Keep an eye out for stingrays nestled in the rocky patches; they often hang out there, apparently to avoid the local orca pods. Visibility averages around 5 metres, which is fine for this kind of close-up exploration. It’s a calm, easy dive, perfect if you’re after a relaxed afternoon exploring a gentle ecosystem, or if you just want to get wet without a big boat trip.