Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand
    Poor Knights Islands

    Noel’s Hole

    Best months: Jan–Apr

    Protected Area

    Poor Knights Islands

    Why dive here

    With 79+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, dolphins, hammerhead sharks, humpback whales and orcas - Noel’s Hole offers some of Poor Knights Islands's richest reef diving. Water ranges 15-22°C, warmest January, February, March.

    Best timeJan–Apr
    WetsuitA 5mm wetsuit
    Marine lifeBlue Sharks, Dolphins, Hammerhead Sharks, Humpback Whales and Orcas · 79+ species recorded
    Water15-22°C · warmest January, February, March
    CharacterReef dive
    StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

    Noel’s Hole is one of those spots we always try to hit when the conditions are right. It’s not really a hole, more of a sheltered bay that just keeps giving. Drop in and you’re immediately enveloped by the kelp forest – the light filtering down through the fronds is something else, a dappled green glow you just have to feel. Head west and the wall drops away to some serious depth, but we usually stick to the 10-15m range. Here you find schools of demoiselles so thick they shimmer like a single organism, parting for you as you swim through. Keep an eye out for blue mao mao darting in and out of the crevices, and we’ve often seen eagle rays gliding gracefully past the sponges. Our favourite is spotting the banded cleaner shrimp busy at work. Visibility here averages a decent 19m, but on a good day, it stretches to over 25m, making the whole place feel even more expansive. It’s perfect for a relaxed dive, suitable for anyone comfortable with a bit of kelp, and offers a good range of depths if you want to poke around.

    Today05:4518:3212h 47m daylightGolden hour 17:58

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    Conditions

    Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Noel’s Hole

    Noel’s Hole Ocean Conditions

    Monthly averages for Noel’s Hole, sourced from Open-Meteo marine data + Copernicus Marine (EU) - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (-35.84, 174.61) (14km away)

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    October Averages

    Sea Temperature

    16°C

    60°F · Range: 14.8–17.1°C

    Current Speed

    11.4 cm/s

    Direction: SE (142.1°)

    Chlorophyll-a

    0.388 mg/m³

    Moderate productivity

    Salinity

    35.44 PSU

    Based on 4 years of monitoring data · Data sources: Open-Meteo marine data + Copernicus Marine (EU)

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