Poor Knights
Jan's Tunnel (Aorangi)
- Max depth30 m
- CertificationCavern
- Water temperature≈ 14–23 °C, varies with the seasonestimated, no reports yet
Diving and fills
Dive here with
The dive
The tunnel entrance is covered in kelp and seaweed, with one of the biggest gatherings of anemones you'll see here. Once the light fades you are in the tunnel.
Profile and sections
The tunnel entrance is covered in kelp and seaweed, with one of the biggest gatherings of anemones you'll see here. Once the light fades you are in the tunnel. You surface slowly into a round chamber open to the sky, like a rock pool in the middle of the island, with trees growing around it. On the way back down the light in the tunnel turns deep blue. PADI calls it the Poor Knights' own cenote. On the left of the bay is a wide gut with a shallow air-bubble cave.
The tunnel is named after Jan Doak. According to Global Dive you can also reach the chamber along a shallower route, through a corridor under a rock arch above the waterline.
Practical: the rock arch beyond the chamber leads to another exit, but you can't use it because landing in the reserve is prohibited.
- Depth and profile
- Plan for 30 m: the boat anchors at 20–30 m. The tunnel starts at ~19 m and rises to ~10 m; the round chamber beyond is ~5 m deep. Outside, the wall drops to nearly 40 m.
- Configuration
- A tunnel where the daylight fades, with a chamber open to the sky: recreational gear with a torch; cavern training is wise (estimate).
Who can dive where
- At least Cavern
- Configurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
- Goes down to 30 m (trimix or deco may be needed)
This is how the planner decides who in your team may dive this cave. Rules your own trip adds (organizer, a mail, the AI) show with your trip.
How to get there
Boat dive in a narrow cove in the south-western corner of Aorangi, with a local dive centre. Landing is prohibited throughout the reserve, including at the rock pool beyond the tunnel.
Around Jan's Tunnel (Aorangi)
FillsNo fill station known nearby
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