Cook Islands scuba diving is available on the main island of Rarotonga and to a lesser extent on Aitutaki. However, scuba diving on both islands is limited to the surrounding reefs beyond which the sea drops off dramatically. There are no specialist scuba diving resorts or live aboard diving charters as with some of its south pacific neighbours. That's not to say the scuba diving is not good - there is excellent marine life on Rarotonga, from colourful tropical fish to sharks, manta rays and baracuda and some inspiring 40 feet drop off's around both Rarotonga and Aitutaki.
There are a few wrecks around Rarotonga dating from the 1950's to explore but these have been badly damaged by recent cyclones. The best drop-off's on Rarotonga are on the south coast whilst the north coast has a more gentle descent and therefore better corals. Experienced divers will not find any challenging dive sights in the Cook Islands but will never-the-less find enjoyable all weather diving conditions. For casual scuba diving, the Cook Islands is great due to the close proximity of dive sites.
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