Stanmore Bay Pool - Poor Knights Islands
Stanmore Bay Pool, if you can call it a dive site, is really more of a snorkel or splash around spot in the Poor Knights Islands. At a consistent one-meter depth, it’s like a giant, naturally formed swimming pool. We often drop in here for a quick cool-down between dives, or if someone in the group isn't keen on deeper water. You'll spot small reef fish darting amongst the shallow corals, probably a few nudibranchs if you look closely, and the light filtering down is always pretty. It’s perfect for kids, new snorkelers, or just a relaxing surface interval.
- Location
- Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand, Australasia
- Coordinates
- -36.627600, 174.740900
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 1m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: Long Bay-Okura
Best Time to Dive in Poor Knights Islands
The warmest water temperatures in Poor Knights Islands occur in February, averaging 21.9°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 15.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 21.4°C
- February: 21.9°C
- March: 21.7°C
- April: 20.6°C
- May: 19.1°C
- June: 17.6°C
- July: 16.5°C
- August: 15.8°C
- September: 15.9°C
- October: 16.6°C
- November: 18.2°C
- December: 19.8°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Poor Knights Islands
- ABC Bay (wall)
- ABC Bay (reef)
- Alice A. Leigh /Rewa ShipWreck (wreck)
- Alice A. Leigh /Rewa ShipWreck (cenote)
- Ann's Rock / Astrid's Wall (wall)
- Barren Arch (reef)
- Bartle Bay (drift)
- Bartle Bay (wreck)
- Blue MaoMao Arch (cave)
- Blue MaoMao Arch (drift)
- Boarfish Reef Poor Knights (reef)
- Boarfish Reef Poor Knights (reef)
- Brady’s Corner (Shark Fin Cave) (cave)
- Brady’s Corner (Shark Fin Cave) - 10-25m (cave)
- Bream Rock
Nearest Dive Centres to Stanmore Bay Pool
- Auckland Scuba - Silverdale - ["PADI"]
- DIVE NOW - SSI
- Dive! Tutukaka - ["PADI"]
- Dive Zone
- GOAT ISLAND DIVE and SNORKEL - SSI
- Moana Futures Ltd
Marine Life in Poor Knights Islands
Home to 84 recorded species including 53 reef fish, 11 sharks & rays, 4 whales & dolphins, 4 other, 3 crabs & lobsters, 2 sea urchins.
Notable Species
- Snapper (Pagrus auratus) - Reef Fish
- Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Red Rock Lobster (Jasus edwardsii) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Striped Marlin (Kajikia audax) - Reef Fish
- California Yellowtail (Seriola lalandi) - Reef Fish
- European fan-worm (Sabella spallanzanii) - Worms
- Shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) - Sharks & Rays
- Smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) - Sharks & Rays
- Bluefin Gurnard (Chelidonichthys kumu) - Reef Fish
- Asian paddle crab (Charybdis (Charybdis) japonica) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Bronze whaler (Carcharhinus brachyurus) - Sharks & Rays
- dory (Zeus faber) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Blue mackerel (Scomber australasicus) - Reef Fish
- Striped Triplefin (Forsterygion varium) - Reef Fish
- Blue-eyed Triplefin (Notoclinops segmentatus) - Reef Fish
- Spotty (Notolabrus celidotus) - Reef Fish
- Southern Eagle Ray (Myliobatis tenuicaudatus) - Sharks & Rays
- Ranger (Pseudocaranx dentex) - Reef Fish
- Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera brydei) - Whales & Dolphins
Recommended Packing List for Stanmore Bay Pool
Based on average water temperature of 18.8°C, currents 12 cm/s.
- Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 19°C water
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories