Dive the Rainbow Warrior
from $269
The Rainbow Warrior was Greenpeace’s flagship. On its way to protest France’s nuclear testing on the Mururoa Atoll when it was sunk by French saboteurs on July 10, 1985, in Auckland Harbour.
After the bombing Greenpeace gifted the Warrior to the sea and she now lies as an artificial reef in the Cavalli Islands, a refuge for the marine life she was sunk trying to protect.At a max depth of 26m the Warrior is now home to a huge variety of aquatic life and is a world renowned dive site.
The Warrior is one of the world’s premier wreck dives, and truly is the ‘Jewel of the North’. “When man has destroyed the world through his greed, the Warriors of the Rainbow will arise to save it again”.
Read the full guide to the Rainbow Warrior wreck: depths, history, marine life and when to dive her.
How our wrecks compare with the rest of New Zealand’s wreck dives
Who can dive it
You don’t need to be an Advanced diver, and you don’t need to bring a group — we take bookings from individuals.
Open Water divers — you’ll dive the wreck with one of our instructors as a Deep Adventure Dive, which counts towards your SSI Advanced Open Water course. You’ll need to have dived within the last year. If you can show experience of dives to 30 metres, you won’t need the Deep Adventure Dive and can dive with the group at the standard rate.
Advanced divers and above — you’ll dive with the group. You’ll need to have dived within the last 18 months.
Out of the water for longer than that? Our Refresher day will get you current again first.
The Rainbow Warrior needs two divers on board for the trip to run. Book as an individual and we’ll let you know if a day looks short.
Diving the Bay of Islands since 1978. Rated 4.9 on TripAdvisor (565 reviews) and 5.0 on Google (390).
Your Dive Day
We start the dive day at 7:45am at our dive shop on Williams rd. We organize equipment and paper work, and load our mini bus and trailer for a 8:30am departure. We drive 45 minutes north to Matauri Bay were we launch our 7.5m inflatable boat from the beach. Once at Matauri Bay we set up scuba gear, put wet suits on, and do the safety briefing. Launching the boat is lots of fun from the beach and makes it a very short boat ride of 8 minutes to the wreck of the Rainbow Warrior.
After the wreck dive we head to one of the beautiful beaches on the Cavalli Islands for some lunch/snorkelling, and if we have any reef or Intro Dive divers on board they do their first dive.
After lunch we then head to one of the many great reef dive sites in the Cavalli Islands. This is normally an 18m or less dive exploring the volcanic reef areas. We have plenty of swim throughs, tunnels and caves, so if you are keen on this let us know!
Once all the diving is done we head back to Matauri Bay, arriving at about 2:30pm and back to Paihia around 4:00pm. Arrival at Paihia can vary depending on how busy the boat is and if customers require to be back for a bus. If you are catching a bus in the afternoon, please let us know!
Common questions
What is the visibility like?
It changes through the year. Autumn is usually the best of it — 15 to 30 metres and sometimes more. Winter sits around 15 metres and is reliable. Summer swings the most, anywhere from 8 metres to over 20. Spring is the least dependable, averaging 8 to 12 metres and occasionally dropping to 5.
How cold is it, and what wetsuit will I need?
Sea temperature runs from about 16°C in late winter up to about 22°C in February. Below 18°C we put you in a 7mm one-piece with a hooded vest, boots and gloves. Above 18°C it is the same 7mm suit, with the hood and gloves optional. In high summer at around 22°C a 5mm is plenty. Wetsuit hire is $20 on our charters, hood included.
What time do we leave and when am I back?
Check in at the dive shop on Williams Road at 7:45am and we leave at 8:30am, driving 45 minutes north to Matauri Bay with the boat on the trailer. We launch Aka Maru off the beach, and it is a short run of about 8 minutes out to the wreck. Back at Matauri Bay about 2:30pm and into Paihia around 4:00pm.
Is there a toilet on board?
Not on the boat — Aka Maru is a 7.5m inflatable with no heads. There are toilets at the campground at Matauri Bay where we launch and return, and at lunchtime it is the DOC hut on Motukawanui Island, or behind a bush on one of the Cavalli beaches. Worth knowing before you commit to a full day out there.
What happens if the weather turns?
We usually make the call the day before, off the lunchtime forecast. If a bigger system is on its way we generally know a few days out, and occasionally it changes overnight and we have to call it in the morning. If we cancel for weather, you get a full refund. Leave the decision to us rather than calling it off yourself — a day that looks rough on a forecast app is often fine on the water.
Do I need my own gear?
No. A full scuba set is $100 on our charters. Individually: tanks and weights $40, regulator $20, BC $20, wetsuit $20 with the hood included. Mask, snorkel, fins and boots are no charge on our trips.
Is lunch provided?
There is a lunch stop on one of the beaches in the Cavalli Islands. Bring your own, or order a packed lunch from us for $17 — meat or vegetarian, just let us know when you book.
Can my partner come along if they do not dive?
Yes. A snorkeller or passenger place is $240 including all gear, or $190 for a child aged 6 to 14. They get the same day on the water, the same islands on the way out, and the lunch stop while the divers are down.
Diving Packages
Experience Scuba Diving in the Bay Of Islands.
important information
Before diving with Paihia Dive please have a look at our Understanding The Risks form, as this will need to be completed before joining any of our trips. If you are doing any dive training including Intro Dives or refreshers, please have a look at our Medical Form, if required you may need to get your doctor to sign you off as fit to dive, before completing the activity.
