Cook Islands Diving

[JustAddWater]

I've been home from the Cook Islands for a week,and sure do miss the great visibility. I thought tanking up in my swimming pool yesterday would ease my affliction, but the plaster and tile didn't compare to the real deal. The Cook Islands are a wonderful place. Beautiful, clean, friendly people, affordable (compared to Tahiti), good diving. We travelled and dove in Rarotonga and Aitutaki. Raro is the larger of the two, and quite a bit more "cosmopolitan" (considering you are on a small island in the middle of the Pacific). They have three reputable dive operators. I went out with Cook Island Divers. They have a very nice operation. The dives were pinnacles and wall dives. We saw beautiful reef-life and some pelagics, including white-tip reef shark, barracuda, tuna, lionfish... Aitutaki has one, family-like operation called Aitutaki Scuba. Once again a fine experience. A highlight was a fairly short cave, with an entrance at 60' and an exit at 90'. The life within the crevices looked like a living art museum. The only disappointment on both islands was that there were no multi-tank trips. My wife was happy though; that meant shopping and island drinks in the afternoon. Overall, it was an outstanding vacation.

 

[greg somers]

Cook Islands...Mmmmm...Know them well.They are a protectorate of New Zealand.One of my old flatmates is from Aitutaki.It really has grown tourism wise.Go back 15 yrs and it was populated by villagers on the main Island.Another friend of mine works in the local bank there.
Did you do the outer reef walk?The value for money is good.
Try any of the coconut crab in Raro? I take it that you took the plan from Raro to Aitutaki...the ferry is a killer..24hrs...Sounds like a great trip.Peaceful,relaxing and isolated...like all good island holidays should be.
Cheers well rested ears,
The gasman

 

[JustAddWater]

I didn't have the coconut crab, but parrotfish and octopus curry are now on my favorite foods list. We didn't hear about the reef walk, but snorkled off the reefs, and walked to some of the atolls during a lagoon cruise. I'm still on island time. "mon - soon - come"