Adventure Cook Islands

Our deep, hidden secrets
While photographing (or tying to) the elusive narc angelfish on a deep dive, this stunning pair of butterflyfish came over to say hello. After consulting with local and international experts, these are likely to be a subspecies of the Marquesas butterflyfish (Chaetodon declivis wilderi) which is native to the Line Islands and not known from the Cook Islands.
There is still so much we don't know about what lives on our deeper reefs close to shore and even more we need to learn about what lives on our deep ocean floor.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and wisdom:

🙏 Kirby Morejohn
🙏 Graham McDonald
🙏 Yi Kai Tea (kaithefishguy)

We are never too old to stop learning.
Meet Dale. Dale is one of our snow escapees from Canada and has been coming to Rarotonga every year since the 1990's. Dale is an experienced diver and dives 3 times per week, he does about 15 dives with us every year. Over the years he has logged many thousands of dives.
As Dale uses pretty much no air, all of his dives are at least 60 to 70 minutes long. Dale turned 80 at the beginning of the month and celebrated his 80's birthday in style with an 80 feet dive for 80 minutes! 🎉

As Dale regularly runs out of no-stop time and needs to finish the dive because of his tissue's nitrogen loading, Dale has now enrolled in (and completed) one of our Enriched Air Nitrox courses. Being 80 years old, this makes Dale undoubtedly the oldest student we have certified. It also teaches us all two lessons:

1. We are never too old to stop learning.
2. You are only as old as you feel you are.

Congratulations Dale, we love you! 🏆❤
You are an inspiration to us all and we wish you many more happy dives!

P.S.: There are two possible explanations for Dale's phenomenon (why he uses so little gas):
1. He is so old that he nearly stops breathing, hence the cylinder lasts forever.
2. He is a very good diver. (Dale thinks this is it) :-)

Enrich your dives with ENRICHED AIR NITROX
Is your dive computer’s no-stop time limiting the duration of your dives? Are you getting tired from your tissue’s nitrogen loading after scuba diving?
Our Nitrox generator can produce Enriched Air up to 40% oxygen. More oxygen in the breathing gas extends your no-decompression limits (more no-stop time). In addition, more oxygen makes you less tired, leaving you more time for other activities in Rarotonga.

Did you know that the biggest bio-mass movement happens every night in our oceans and great lakes?
During the diel vertical migration, the coolest and weirdest critters use the protection of the night to travel from the deep ocean towards the surface to feed under the cover of darkness. This also happens in front of our shores...

After a busy and hot week we couldn't resist the temptation of doing our first blackwater dive this year.
Even though it was not New Moon, we still had a pretty good dive...

Pitcairn Angelfish live on Rarotonga's deep drop-off slopes and walls. Genicanthus Spinus are often camera shy, however this photogenic male posed for the camera in 75 metres, while we were exploring the steep slope below Peppermint Reef.

THE CALL OF THE DEEP

When you venture past recreational diving depths, Rarotonga’s deep drop-off’s and steep outer reef slopes offer fantastic sceneries and rare fauna waiting to be discovered. We feel very privileged to be able to explore these virtually unknown and incredibly special areas of Rarotonga.

All photos were taken at depths between 80 and 120 metres.

What is lost can sometimes be found again!

After many years of laying hidden under a big pile of rocks and rubble, Dave Simms's memorial plaque has unearthed again.
Our divemaster Gary found the plaque last week on a dive. In the group was also Craig, one of our regular divers who used to dive with Dave back in the 90s.

Those of you who were diving with Cook Island Divers in the nineties probably remember Dave. We will be moving the plaque to a more secure spot where it will hopefully not disappear for another 17 years again.👌🏽

We wish you a very merry festive season and a great start into 2024.
Our shop is closed on Christmas Day and New Years' Day. We are open again on Boxing Day and the 2nd of January.

Your Adventure Cook Islands Team!

Another lucky soul rescued from Rutaki Passage. We found this old fella exhausted and drifting out in the passage this morning. He was shaken but relieved when we dropped him back to the beach again. When we asked him whether he did not see the no-swimming signs, he had nothing to say... What a way to finish the TDI Advanced Nitrox Diver course with our students from MMR.

55 metres below the surface, Rarotonga's deep Peppermint Reef is a true Cook Islands subsea treasure. Amidst healthy, dense plate coral live many peppermint angelfish (centropyge boylei).

Exploring Rarotonga’s stunning, deep Peppermint Reef, home to the elusive peppermint angelfish.

This weekend we skipped the Easter Egg Hunt 🐣 and went looking for our deep reef treasures instead. Who wouldn't want to wake up on a Saturday at 5 am to look for these gorgeous little fishies!?! 🐟

Peppermint angelfish are very shy and live on Rarotonga’s stunning deep reefs and drop-off’s. If you need training to get there - no worries, our range of TDI courses will get you there.