Stingrays

Boats anchor around 16 metres and the group works the sand from there, watching for rays resting on the bottom or tucked half-buried at the edges. Volcanic rock formations break up the terrain with overhangs and small caverns, home to moray eels and octopus, while barracuda and trumpetfish move through the open stretches. The profile stays in a comfortable 16-20 metre band for most of the dive, with a deeper edge around 22 metres for those who want it.

This is a site built for one thing done well: dependable ray sightings on a stretch of coast where that's not a given everywhere. The sandy bottom keeps the rays visible rather than hidden, and the volcanic structure alongside it gives a second reason to keep looking even when the rays aren't cooperating.

Give any rays space and let them settle rather than crowding in for a closer look. Visibility is generally strong here, though summer plankton can knock it back a little. Confirm with your operator which boat you're on if ray sightings specifically are the goal, since west-coast and south-coast ray sites share similar names and are easy to mix up when booking.