Tabletop Reef - Poor Knights Islands
Waecicu, right on Labuan Bajo’s doorstep, is a great spot for getting your fins wet without the fuss. It’s mostly sand, shallow, maxing out at 12 meters, and you won’t feel a whisper of current, which makes it perfect for knocking off some rust or a first open water dive. We’ve found some really interesting characters here over the years: devil scorpionfish blended right into the sand, the odd Lembeh sea dragon doing its slow crawl, and a decent variety of nudibranchs if you take your time. You'll also see lionfish patrolling and flounders expertly camouflaged, waiting to dart away. Visibility generally sits around 10 meters, so it’s not for grand panoramas, but it’s just right for digging into the smaller stuff.
- Location
- Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand, Australasia
- Coordinates
- -36.270700, 174.806600
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Cape Rodney-Okakari Point
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 Tabletop Reef
- 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 Tabletop Reef
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