Stewart Island Snorkeling and Freediving Tours through coastal kelp forests.
Dive Rakiura offer half day and full day Stewart Island adventure tours, with longer charter options available upon request.
Dive and Snorkel Tours Stewart Island
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New Zealand’s plentiful and diverse marine life can be seen in Rakiura’s waters.
Underwater, Patterson Inlet is a thriving ecosystem that has been protected by rugged isolation and the people who use it.
Due to the sheltered and nutrient rich waters, there are over 260 species of native seaweed. Within these kelp forests live a multitude of different marine organisms.
The Stewart Island kelp forests offer beauty and mystery, so come dive with us and discover them for yourself.
Paterson Inlet Half Day Tour
- Tour Duration: 2-3 hours
- Group size: 2 – 14 People
We have a variety of boat accessible spots we visit, depending on the conditions.
We provide all equipment necessary for comfortably diving these cool Stewart Island waters.
Stewart Island Diving Locations
We usually head to the coastline of Ulva Island, into the Te Wharawhara Marine Reserve. These are 3 reserves totaling 1075 hectares.
Our locations differ depending on the weather, but we have many different wonderful spots for different wind angles, ensuring we can find a calm, sheltered bay in most conditions.
For longer tours and charter tours we can head further afield, to other parts of the Rakiura Coastlines.
Paterson Inlet / Whaka a Te Wera
A large natural harbour on the eastern side of Rakiura, Stewart Island. The inlet is surrounded on all sides by native forest. The rainfall passes through the roots of this forest and result in clear and nutrient rich water entering Patterson Inlet. Paterson Inlet is a melting point for multiple different ocean currents including the warm East Australian Current, resulting in a rich and diverse ecosystem.
Te Wharawhara Marine Reserve
The Te Wharawhara Marine Reserve is situated as three separate reserves around Ulva Island. The Reserve has built up an impressive array of thriving kelp forests; in which we operate our tours.
It is likely to bump into large Blue Cod, Moki and Butterfish, as well as a huge variety of reef species. If we are lucky we may even see a New Zealand Sealion or an Octopus. At 1075 hectares, there is plenty of room for exploring.
