Goat Island Dive & Snorkel

Great experience. We were bit unfortunate as weather wasn't good otherwise it was definitely worth it. Staff and instructor were quite friendly and very supportive. We had old people and kids in our group, she took care of them and kept them quite comfortable throughout snorkeling experience.

About a year ago a friend and I travelled up from Auckland hoping to snorkel at Goat Island. A very helpful young lady let us know that the water was a bit rough and that we would probably not see much that day. She recommended another spot we could go to and went through the fish we might encounter. She was very attentive, gave us nice gear and even chucked a freebie in there. We also liked the dogs they had on the premises!

Pros: Naia was a friendly and informed guide. It's a very reasonably priced tour for the gear provided. The water is very still. Cons: I went at the beginning of September and it was still much too cold to fully enjoy (this probably would have been a 4/5 if the water was warmer). The water wasn't cloudy, but it also wasn't as clear as I was expecting. I saw a lot of big snapper and teeny jellyfish and that was very cool, but I didn't see as many different animals as I was expecting. Takeaway: I would recommend this in later spring or summer if you're trying to stay close to Auckland, are on a budget, want a guided tour, and want to use proper scuba gear.

We booked a shore dive tour at goat island marine reserve with Connor as our guide. He is safety oriented and flexible with the goal to share his passion for diving. We saw plenty of fish, snails, corrals and the biggest snapper I ever saw called “scar”. Thank you Connor we had an amazing time!

We had the best experience as first-time ocean snorkelers going out with tour guide Naia! Naia was calm and attentive in the water when we needed tips on how to adjust and clear our snorkels. She was very knowledgeable and passionate about the marine reserve wildlife and she did an excellent job pointing out various species - ranging from teeny baby jellyfish to a large eagle ray (pictured). Can’t speak highly enough of this experience and of Naia - 10/10! We recommend renting your equipment for the rest of the day, to try out the snorkeling techniques you’ve learned!

Great experience. Did the snorkeling for beginners guide tour. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't on our side, so the water wasn't that clear, but they did offer a chance to reschedule. We all decided that we still wanted to go. Will definitely do it again.

The "Try Dive" is an amazing experience not too far out of Auckland. Makayla is an excellent guide/instructor, the service, preparation, and equipment are all good, and it's quite reasonably priced. I've now been convinced to continue and get an open-water diving certification :)

Despite the weather, we had an amazing experience. The team was awesome—full of energy and knowledge, which made the snorkeling tour really fun and memorable. Recommend 10/10