The Needles - Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
The Needles on Rapa Nui, they're exactly what they sound like – volcanic spires punching up from a sandy seabed. We love a site with a memorable topography, and these deliver. You drop in and immediately feel that unique Pacific current, but it’s generally gentle here, perfect for beginner divers. We've seen visibility pushing past 60 metres, a truly staggering amount of clear blue water that makes the Needles feel like they're floating. Our favourite part is gliding through the gaps between the rock columns, watching the sunlight dapple the sand below. Look for the endemic Big long-nosed Butterflyfish flitting about, or a Banded thicklip cruising by. Keep an eye out for Speckled morays peeking from crevices. It’s a shallower dive, mostly 5-20 metres, so you get plenty of bottom time to really explore the nooks and crannies. This is our pick for a relaxing, beautiful dive where the scenery above the surface is just as dramatic as below.
- Location
- Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile, South America
- Coordinates
- -27.130000, -109.350000
- Type
- pinnacle
- Maximum Depth
- 5-20m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: Hanga Oteo
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
- Motu Nui - 10-30m
- REGENT OAK - 15m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to The Needles
- 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 The Needles
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