Mermaids Kitchen

Mermaids Kitchen is an advanced dive site on Wellington's exposed south coast, reaching 18 meters in the dynamic waters where the city faces the full power of the Cook Strait. The evocative name suggests the cave-like formations and overhangs that characterize this rocky coastline, where geological features create intimate underwater spaces that shelter rich marine communities. The south coast exposure creates the conditions that justify the advanced rating: significant swell, surge, and current that can develop rapidly and change character as sea conditions shift. Entry and exit through the rocky shoreline require careful timing and route selection, and the underwater conditions demand confident buoyancy management and situational awareness. These challenges are the daily reality of Wellington's south coast diving. When conditions allow, Mermaids Kitchen reveals an underwater landscape of dramatic beauty. Rock formations create overhangs, swim-throughs, and the kitchen-like enclosed spaces that give the site its name. The rock surfaces are covered in dense marine growth, with the Cook Strait's nutrients supporting encrusting communities of impressive density and variety. Sponges, anemones, and colonial organisms create walls of living color in the sheltered spaces. Marine life is correspondingly rich. The productive Cook Strait waters support dense fish populations, and the rocky habitat provides shelter for crayfish, moray eels, and the various species that prefer the complex topography of exposed coastline. The proximity to the Taputeranga Marine Reserve contributes healthy fish populations. Mermaids Kitchen demands respect and careful condition assessment but rewards with some of the most atmospheric and biologically rich diving available in the Wellington region.