Snorkelling around Rarotonga

Snorkelling is a great way to begin your underwater adventures, to explore a new and fascinating world. Suitable for all ages, snorkelling can be enjoyed with a minimum of equipment and little training/advice from the locals. The water temperature around Rarotonga provides for all-year round comfortable snorkelling, ranging from between 24-30 degrees Celsius.

Rarotonga has a surrounding barrier reef, protecting the island beaches on most days from the rougher breaking water. This results in calmer water near the shoreline and many stretches of lagoon offering ideal conditions for snorkelling.

Snorkelling in Rarotonga is easy and safe, provided you hit the right spots!  There’s a great variety of tropical fish and corals around the beaches in calm waters. Much of the best snorkelling is accessible directly off the beach, which makes it particularly safe for those less experienced who can see fish as soon as they put on their masks and peer beneath the surface.

So where are the best spots?

We have included a map at the bottom of the page and here is some information about the 3 best spots for snorkelling on Rarotonga

(1) TIKIOKI - FRUITS OF RAROTONGA

This is one of the permanent Marine Parks of Rarotonga. There are some great coral bommies in this area of the lagoon, which attracts a spectacular array of fish, from butterflyfish, parrotfish, angelfish, puffers, boxfish, hunting bluefin trevally and schools of convict surgeon to moray eels, turtles and even small whitetip reef sharks!

Stop off at the Fruits of Rarotonga cafe for a nice cold smoothie, then head across the road and about 100m along the beach to your right (west). About half way between the shore and where you see the waves breaking on the reef, this is where you'll find a stunning array of fish life.

There can sometimes be a mild current here inside the lagoon, especially when there's a south-easterly wind blowing, so fins are recommended. .

(2) ARO'A BEACH

Stop in at one of the best beach bars on the island, the Shipwreck Hut at Aro'a Beachside Inn, and from here, all the way round to the Rarotongan Resort on the south-west point of the island, you’ll find some amazing flora and fauna.

The water is shallow and the lagoon has a smooth sandy bottom with scattered coral bommies. The Aro'a Lagoon Marine Reserve has been continuously operating as a dedicated Marine Reserve in Rarotonga and is a natural breeding ground for hundreds of species of tropical reef fish. Here you can expect to see large schools of trevally, moray eels, butterfly fish, sea bream, wrasse and much more. Also look out for the elusive reef octopus and beautiful clams.

(3) BLACKROCK

Because of the prevailing south-easterlies, this is often the calmest place to snorkel on the island. This site offers spectacular black volcanic rocks surrounded by beautiful white sand.  There is also fresh water and a barbeque area available on shore at the 'Social Centre', making this a great place for families with kids.

What do you need?

To allow you to see underwater, you'll need a mask. The most comfortable mask skirts are made of silicone, and there are all different shapes and sizes out there to fit a variety of face shapes. If the mask fits properly you should be able to hold the mask on your face by just breathing in through your nose, while the strap is not in place at the back of your head. Make sure the bottom of the mask skirt is not touching the top of your lip as the mask will leak when you put your snorkel in your mouth.

When you purchase a mask there is usually a manufacturer's coating on the lenses to prevent scratching during transport and sale. To remove this film, rub a pea sized amount of white toothpaste (not gel or whitening!) around the inside of the lens, then rinse with fresh water. Before entering the lagoon, spit in the lenses of the mask, or use commercial de-fog, and rinse to prevent your mask fogging up during your snorkel. Any oil-based moisturiser or sunscreen that you apply to your face will cause condensation whatever you try to do, so avoid these just before snorkelling.

Any snorkel will do provided it's comfortable in your mouth and the top of the snorkel is out of the water while you are peering beneath the surface! You should wear the mask with the snorkel on the left side of your face and most snorkels are shaped specifically for this fitting.

Some snorkellers prefer to wear reef shoes or fins. We recommend fins to move with ease through the water, especially if there's any current.

For more information on snorkelling practices and equipment have a look at the Scuba Schools International (SSI) website.

So what are the pitfalls?

When going for a snorkel it's advisable not to leave valuables and clothes unattended on the beach. There's not much crime on the island, but you wouldn't leave your stuff out in the open at home and it's exactly the same here! Scooters are easily broken into so don't leave valuables locked under the seat.

Please don't feed the fish, especially with artificial foods that fish don't naturally eat. Bread can expand in their stomachs causing severe digestive problems, and boiled eggs have been proven to cause high cholesterol.

Please do not stand on or touch our fragile corals. There's an abundance of beautiful hard corals surrounding Rarotonga, and if you don't know what it is, assume it's alive and keep off it! Sunscreen can also cause a damaging chemical film on corals (and fog up your mask!), so wear a rash vest and avoid smothering yourself with cream before getting in the water.

The lagoon surrounding Rarotonga does contain the odd poisonous fish, namely scorpionfish, stonefish and lionfish. However, these fish are not mean and out to get you! Ok, so very occasionally they do lurk under the sand waiting for an unexpected snorkeller to stab with their poisonous fins! But most of the time these fish dwell amongst the rocks and corals where they're most camouflaged and are most likely to find food. They would rather move out of your way than get stood on, so if you are walking on sand look where you are going and 'shuffle your feet'. Please be respectful to their homes, and do NOT stand on rocks or corals, even when wearing reef shoes. Quality reef shoes will give you some protection, but a pair of cheap $15 shoes will not save you, they'll just give you a false sense of security!

Pollution concerns within parts of Rarotonga lagoon are being resolved. Visitors are probably best advised to avoid swimming near streams during heavy rains when runoff into the lagoon will affect the water quality for several days. Anywhere you see a large collection of sea cucumbers in one area is best avoided.

There are several passages around the island, connecting the shallow water inside the lagoon with the deep water outside the lagoon. These passages act as a channel through the reef for fast water to enter and exit the lagoon. Under no circumstances should these passages be entered for snorkelling or swimming. There are always currents present, even if the sea looks flat on top. Rarotonga is a volcanic island and there are many lava tunnels though these passages, creating fast moving water, which can be in a downwards direction. Also, anywhere around the island can be affected by swells out at sea so for safety if you see waves in the lagoon either check one of the other spots or leave snorkelling for another day. Our recommendation is you never venture further out than 1/2 way between the beach and the reef.