The Marlborough Sounds is a premier diving destination offering a variety of dive sites suited for all levels, from beginners to seasoned experts. Whether you’re seeking shallow, warm waters or an adrenaline-pumping dive through stronger currents, there’s something for everyone. Heading to your dive site you may be lucky enough to encounter one of the five species of dolphin -five diverse dolphin species – the dusky, bottlenose, common, orca, and the rare Hector’s dolphins- that frequent this unique are. Once submerged you are likely to see friendly blue cod, spotties, mullet, carpet shark, butterfly perch, wrasses, leather jackets, terakihi, gurnard and at some sites crayfish, decorator crabs and seahorses.

Here’s a breakdown of some the best dive sites in the Marlborough Sounds.

Long Island Marine Reserve

Long Island is the only official marine reserve in the Sounds, making it a must-dive destination. It’s a fantastic site to explore, especially when the weather is less than ideal, as it is protected from the predominant southerly wind.

Dive Depth: 10 to 15 meters, making it perfect for beginner divers.

Double Cove

Known as one of the Marlborough Sounds’ highlights, Double Cove is a great spot for divers of all experience levels. The shallow waters (under 8m) and vibrant marine life make it a memorable dive.

Dive Depth: Shallow at under 8 meters, ideal for relaxed dives.

Wreck Diving: The Koi

For wreck diving enthusiasts, the Marlborough Sounds is home to several sunken ships, including the Koi wreck. This 30-meter steel ship used as a passenger ferry originally sank in Picton Harbour in March 1940 and was later relocated between Torea Point and Double Cove.

Dive Depth: Shallow, at around 13 meters, making it suitable for beginners.

Wreck Diving: The Vara

Located just 5 minutes from Waikawa Marina, the Vara wreck is a popular dive site, famous for local legends of monstrous conger eels named Doris and Boris. The wreck, sunk in 1986, is home to a fascinating array of marine life.

Dive Depth: Shallow and accessible for recreational divers.

Wreck Diving: Mikhail Lermontov

The Mikhail Lermontov, which sank in February 1986, is a world-famous wreck highly recommended by diving enthusiasts. With a length of 155 meters and a beam of 23.6 meters the former Russian cruise liner is one of the largest wrecks in the waters of New Zealand.

Dive Depth: The Lermontov is in 37 meters of water. The top of wreck is at 12m, so the outside is explorable to open water divers. Penetration dives are not recommended unless with an experienced guide. Penetration dive video here

Read more about the last cruise of the Mikhail Lermontov.

For further information or to book a trip we recommend the Waikawa Dive Centre.