Dive-site story
Set along the eastern shoreline of Wellington's Miramar Peninsula, Scorching Bay provides an accessible coastal shore dive. Divers enter from the sandy beach and follow rocky reef outcroppings fringed by native macroalgae and scattered boulder fields. Because it sits well inside Wellington Harbour, the site offers protection from heavy southerly ocean swells, making it a reliable training ground and a popular local night-diving destination.
Frequent encounters with big-belly seahorses clinging to kelp fronds
Night diving opportunities to observe foraging octopus and nocturnal invertebrates
Sheltered bay topography providing calm entries over a gentle sandy slope
Location
Use the map to plan with your operator and confirm the exact entry point on the day.
Seasonality
Late summer and early autumn bring the warmest water temperatures and the most settled in-harbour conditions.
Marine life
| Species | Likelihood | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big-belly seahorseHippocampus abdominalis | Common | ||||||||||||
| New Zealand common octopusPinnoctopus cordiformis | Common | ||||||||||||
| Spotty wrasseNotolabrus celidotus | Common | ||||||||||||
| Variable triplefinForsterygion varium | Common | ||||||||||||
| Red rock crabPlagusia chabrus | Common |
Marine forecast
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