Motu Nui - Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
Motu Nui, right there by the iconic birdman islets, offers a different kind of Pacific diving. It’s not about the usual rainbow reef chaos, but rather an experience in stark, volcanic beauty. We love dropping into the dramatic underwater topography here, all those deep blue slopes and crevices carved by ancient lava flows. Look closely and you’ll find species you simply won't see anywhere else – the lime-spot butterflyfish and cigar wrasse are real show-stoppers, along with the endemic Pacific Gregory darting through the cauliflower corals. The deeper sections can bring bigger pelagics; we've had a few heart-stopping encounters with bull sharks cruising by, though they're not an everyday occurrence. The visibility is usually excellent, letting you appreciate the scale of the landscape. We’d suggest keeping an eye out for the smaller stuff too, like the lamellose wentletraps tucked into the cracks. It's a site that rewards observation rather than frantic searching, ideal for intermediate divers who appreciate geological drama as much as unique fish.
- Location
- Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile, South America
- Coordinates
- -27.205000, -109.455000
- Maximum Depth
- 10-30m
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Marine Protected Area: Coral Nui Nui
Best Time to Dive in Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
The warmest water temperatures in Easter Island (Rapa Nui) occur in January, averaging 23.4°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 23.4°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 23.4°C (air: 22.2°C)
- February: 23.4°C (air: 23.0°C)
- March: 23.4°C (air: 22.7°C)
- April: 23.4°C (air: 21.7°C)
- May: 23.4°C (air: 20.7°C)
- June: 23.4°C (air: 19.4°C)
- July: 23.4°C (air: 18.4°C)
- August: 23.4°C (air: 18.1°C)
- September: 23.4°C (air: 17.9°C)
- October: 23.4°C (air: 18.2°C)
- November: 23.4°C (air: 19.6°C)
- December: 23.4°C (air: 20.9°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
- Buceo Orca
- Cathedral - 12-25m (cave)
- Centro de Buceo Mike Rapu
- REGENT OAK - 15m (wreck)
- The Needles - 5-20m (pinnacle)
Nearest Dive Centres to Motu Nui
- Atariki Rapa Nui
- Mike Rapu Dive Center - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
Home to 36 recorded species including 24 reef fish, 5 hard corals, 3 sea cucumbers, 1 sea urchins, 1 sharks & rays, 1 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- Big long-nosed Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma lutescens) - Reef Fish
- Trumpet (Aulostomus chinensis) - Reef Fish
- Glasseye Snapper (Heteropriacanthus cruentatus) - Reef Fish
- Cauliflower coral (Pocillopora verrucosa) - Hard Corals
- Ranger (Pseudocaranx dentex) - Reef Fish
- Stony coral (Porites lobata) - Hard Corals
- Porcupine (Diodon holocanthus) - Reef Fish
- Burrowing urchin (Echinometra mathaei) - Sea Urchins
- Pinkfish (Holothuria edulis) - Sea Cucumbers
- Brim (Kyphosus sectatrix) - Reef Fish
- Spotted Puffer (Arothron meleagris) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma purpureum) - Reef Fish
- Blue Spotted Wrasse (Anampses caeruleopunctatus) - Reef Fish
- Starry petaloid coral (Psammocora stellata) - Hard Corals
- Transverse coral (Leptastrea transversa) - Hard Corals
- Cauliflower coral (Pocillopora damicornis) - Hard Corals
- Scarlet Soldierfish (Myripristis pralinia) - Reef Fish
- Green wrasse (Notolabrus inscriptus) - Reef Fish
- Speckled moray (Gymnothorax dovii) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Motu Nui
Based on average water temperature of 23.4°C.
- Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 23°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