Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand
    Cape Rodney-Okakari Point

    Penguin Point

    Best months: Jan–Apr

    Protected Area

    Cape Rodney-Okakari Point

    Why dive here

    With 79+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, dolphins, hammerhead sharks, humpback whales and orcas - Penguin Point offers some of Poor Knights Islands's richest wall 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
    CharacterWall dive
    StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

    Penguin Point can be a bit of a wrestle to get into, especially if there’s any kind of swell running, but trust us, it’s worth the effort. Once you’re in, the wall drops from just a few metres down to a shelf at about 13 metres. We’ve always found this to be a fantastic spot for the bigger stuff. You often see schools of blue maomao so thick you have to fin through them, and the resident snapper are huge. Keep an eye on the sandy patches for cruising short-tail stingrays – we’ve seen some absolute monsters here. The rock walls are home to a surprising number of small invertebrates too, with purple sunset clams tucked into crevices and variable chitons clinging tight. Visibility here averages around 8 metres, which isn’t epic, but it’s enough to really appreciate the scale of the rays and the busy schools of fish. It’s a site that rewards patience, perfect for those who like to take it slow and really observe.

    Today05:4418:3312h 48m daylightGolden hour 17:58

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    Conditions

    Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Penguin Point

    Penguin Point Ocean Conditions

    Monthly averages for Penguin Point, 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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