Poor Knights Islands - Northern Arch
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 - Poor Knights Islands - Northern Arch offers some of Poor Knights Islands's richest cave diving. Water ranges 15-22°C, warmest January, February, March.
Northern Arch is Poor Knights at its absolute best. You drop in, and it's just this colossal, silent space carved right through the rock. We love drifting through the arch itself, watching the schools of demoiselles pulse and shift like one giant organism. Look up, and the light refracts through the surface, painting stripes on the rock walls, while down below, you’ll spot kina tucked into crevices and big long-nosed butterflyfish picking around the edges. Our favourite time to dive here is mid-morning, when the sun angle really sets the arch aglow. The currents can get a little pushy outside the arch, but inside, it’s usually calm enough for most divers to just hang and soak it all in. If you’re lucky, a mako might cruise by in the blue, though we’ve only seen that a couple of times. It’s an easy dive that feels epic, perfect for anyone who appreciates dramatic underwater architecture and vibrant fish life.
Typical Poor Knights Islands - Northern Arch Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Safety Notes
Overhead environment - never enter without proper cave/cavern training, redundant equipment, and a guideline.
Always perform a 3-minute safety stop at 5m before surfacing.
Nearest Dive Centres to Poor Knights Islands - Northern Arch
Dive shops near Poor Knights Islands - Northern Arch
Dive! Tutukaka
Northland Dive
Moana Futures Ltd
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Reviews for Poor Knights Islands - Northern Arch
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Poor Knights Islands - Northern Arch
Poor Knights Islands - Northern Arch Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for Poor Knights Islands - Northern Arch, sourced from Open-Meteo marine data + Copernicus Marine (EU) - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (-35.84, 174.61) (14km away)
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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