Tupapa Sandriver - Rarotonga
Burbujas sits a good distance northeast of Isla Fuerte, a proper offshore adventure. It's actually an underwater mud volcano, rising from some serious depths to a crater lip around 18 metres. We usually hit a maximum of 26m here. Visibility hovers around 21 metres, which gives you plenty of scope to appreciate the black corals and those massive barrel sponges – they really do look like stacks of train cars. The whole structure is well colonised, a testament to its isolation. It’s a good spot for divers looking for something a bit different, a chance to explore a unique geological feature rather than just another patch reef.
- Location
- Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- -21.207800, -159.743000
- Type
- reef
Best Time to Dive in Rarotonga
The warmest water temperatures in Rarotonga occur in January, averaging 26.5°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 26.5°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 26.5°C (air: 24.8°C)
- February: 26.5°C (air: 25.2°C)
- March: 26.5°C (air: 25.5°C)
- April: 26.5°C (air: 25.0°C)
- May: 26.5°C (air: 24.2°C)
- June: 26.5°C (air: 22.8°C)
- July: 26.5°C (air: 22.3°C)
- August: 26.5°C (air: 21.7°C)
- September: 26.5°C (air: 22.0°C)
- October: 26.5°C (air: 22.1°C)
- November: 26.5°C (air: 22.6°C)
- December: 26.5°C (air: 24.0°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Rarotonga
- Aroa Rā’ui (reef)
- Arorangi Drop Off (reef)
- Arorangi Drop Off (wall)
- Arorangi Passage (reef)
- Arorangi Passage (reef)
- Avaavaroa Drop Off (reef)
- Avaavaroa Drop Off (reef)
- Avaavaroa Passage - 12-35m (reef)
- Avaavaroa Passage (reef)
- Avaavaroa Passage (reef)
- Avana Passage (drift)
- Avana Passage (wall)
- Avarua Passage (reef)
- Avarua Passage (reef)
- Avatiu Drop Off (wall)
Nearest Dive Centres to Tupapa Sandriver
Marine Life in Rarotonga
Home to 143 recorded species including 102 reef fish, 14 hard corals, 10 sea snails & nudibranchs, 7 sea cucumbers, 2 sea urchins, 2 starfish.
Notable Species
- Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) - Reef Fish
- Black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra) - Sea Cucumbers
- Burrowing urchin (Echinometra mathaei) - Sea Urchins
- Greenfish (Stichopus chloronotus) - Sea Cucumbers
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Manini (Acanthurus triostegus) - Reef Fish
- Surf Redfish (Actinopyga mauritiana) - Sea Cucumbers
- Staghorn coral (Acropora lutkeni) - Hard Corals
- Lemon Peel (Centropyge flavissima) - Reef Fish
- Gendarme Fish (Acanthurus olivaceus) - Reef Fish
- Prickly Redfish (Thelenota ananas) - Sea Cucumbers
- Coral Blenny (Istiblennius edentulus) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma lutescens) - Reef Fish
- Sponsal Cone (Conus sponsalis) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- cowry (Monetaria moneta) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Staghorn coral (Acropora nasuta) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora hyacinthus) - Hard Corals
- Bottleneck Sea Cucumber (Holothuria (Thymiosycia) impatiens) - Sea Cucumbers
- Frigid Cone (Conus frigidus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Pearl-spotted wrasse (Halichoeres margaritaceus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Tupapa Sandriver
Based on average water temperature of 26.5°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 26°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- 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