aroa marine reserve

snorkelgeek

This marine reserve is the area near the Rarotongan Beach Resort. It is NOT the area around Fruits of Rarotonga. Some areas of Aroa have some wicked currents (not undertow) that can fire you down the beach several meters before you know it and it can be difficult to get out of the current. The currents are not tide related and seem to come and go at a whim, you just have to go out and try. The safest area for weak swimmers or children is around the dive shop. This area is very similar in snorkeling to the area at Fruits of Rarotonga (Tikioki Beach).

583janec

Very good snorkeling here and just across the road from the Big fish dive shop. You can hire good quality snorkeling gear at the dive shop for that enhanced experience..

388rebeccaa

Follow the advice of the guys in the Dive shop in Avarua - they'll give you a free map and some brilliant tips - sometimes it felt like we were swimming through fish, not water - there were so many! Totally totally awesome!

rescuevoicesd

Fish galore! Colorful huge fish that are so friendly I found myself smiling in my mask. Safe water with fish very close to shore. Across from the fruits of Rarotonga. Just perfect.

stevejm2014

Superb visibility, heaps of sea life and warm water! even saw a turtle. Best snorkelling site we found on island

Bectwee

Long stretches if beach to yourself and wonderful snorkelling. There was lower visibility some days due to waves smashing over the reef, but it was just amazing. Schools of trevally, amazing tropical fish, starfish and turtles. Just great.

verynortherngirl

12 days on Raro and 8 of them we visited here, the other four the winds and waves made snorkelling out of the question. This was our second visit to Rarotonga and this site is by far the best place without a doubt in our mind . We saw snowflake eel, zebra moray, emperor angelfish, blue streak gobies, octopus , arc eyed hawk fish, piano fang blenny, rock turner wrasse, were just a few of the new ones we identified this year. Some days the current is strong, other days not. Overall for us , because we like to take underwater pictures, the shallow depths and clarity make for great photo opps. I would like to encourage people to learn about coral and learn how to snorkel comfortably, and not to put your feet or flippers near anything. So many people get water in their mask, they panic and opps, the poor coral takes a beating. Snorkeling is so much more enjoyable with proper fitting equipment, then there is no leakage and everybody wins.

LianneBl

Right by Rarotongan Resort. Spot with the most fish to see. Easier with flippers as current was pushing us along on the days we visited.Very beautiful spot.Had backpack on scooter with towel and snorkelling gear in.

trigi

Went several times as best on island and returned after visiting Aitutaki and thought it was better than there. Also went into it from the Rarotongan resort and all good snorkling along there. We found it when we were trying to escape the south winds at Titikaveka. Take away on corner by Dive shop also okay and did good coffee (but check their adding up.)

snorkelgeek

Some areas of the lagoon at this location had come and go currents that were very strong at times. No relation to tides. Just had to go out and try. Otherwise snorkeling was excellent.

KimandGaryC

So beautiful! Literally had to drag myself out of this lagoon everyday. The snorkeling is amazing! There are so many fish, so much interesting life all around you, you could loose your self for hours!

BobT192

We snorkeled (and did a couple of scuba dives as well) in half-a-dozen sites around Rarotonga, and this is the best! A wide variety of fish (we saw 8 different species of butterfly fish in one session!) lots of live coral, warm, clear water, and no current to speak of made it easy and pleasant. The sandy beach provides a trouble-free entry, and the bus will drop you and pick you up right at Aroa Beach on request. The Dive Centre right across the street kindly let us leave our gear bag with street clothes in their shop, even though we had our own gear and thus weren't paying customers. *Very* hospitable!

Granma_13

Hired snorkelling gear from across the road, $12 for 24 hours- great deal. Beware the tide especially if the wind is strong. Quite a few fish, and we had a lovely day there. Dont bother with the tea or coffee from the cafe adjacent to the shop. The best place to snorkellmis down the beach from the Beachcomber resort opposite the dive shop.

The_Dive_Centre

The Aroa Marine Reserve is one of the oldest reserves here in Rarotonga. With only a depth of 1 1/2 to 3 meters it is a very safe place for snorkeling. we have over 70 different species to look at. Everyone is most welcome to enjoy the snorkeling there and make a difference!!there are a couple of things you can do to protect our beautiful lagoon!What You Can Do• Make sure your gear fits properly, is comfortable and adjusted before you go in the water! If you need to make adjustments, find a sandy area to stand or swim back to shore.•When snorkeling, stay horizontal and float OVER the reef!• Observe animals exhibiting their natural behaviors rather than stimulate them to entertain.•No need for feeding bread or other food to the fish – instead bang two little stones/rocks together.Thank you for looking after our lagoon !!!Take nothing but memories and leave nothing but bubbles

Found_Lost_Key

Park beside the Rarotongan Beach Resort, or even in the resorts carpark, wander down to the waterline where you'll be greeted by fish in ankle deep water, take some bread down with you and feed them by hand. we even saw octopus out deeper. great snorkeling