Rarotonga snorkelling is like swimming in a crystal clear tepid aquarium. Large and small, the colourful tropical fish glide in and out of coral beds and sometimes appear to pose for our underwater compact camera.
Rarotonga, the largest of the Cook Islands, is a tropical paradise surrounded by a reef that creates protected beaches. As a result, fabulous snorkelling options abound. Once in the water, I was glad to have an underwater compact camera that was simple to use and could help me to preserve my memories.
This page is divided into two main sections, first Rarotonga snorkelling, then our underwater compact camera selection.
Snorkelling Rarotonga photos shot on an underwater compact camera
At first, I was leary of a camera small enough to fit in my pocket. Could it really take quality underwater photos? You be the judge.
Where is Rarotonga?
Rarotonga is in the Cook Islands in the Southern Pacific Ocean. It is a nearly 4-hour flight from Auckland, New Zealand.
One of the great things about being on a small island (32 kilometres around) with a huge volcanic hill in the centre is that if the Rarotonga weather isn’t ideal where you are, you can easily go to the other side. The mountainous interior blocks the wind.
Best places for snorkelling on Rarotonga
Here are what we were told are the best places to snorkel in Rarotonga:
Titikaveka Beach
The public Titikaveka Beach is across the road from Fruits of Rarotonga, offering easy walk-in access and nearby coral reefs. Over the coral, colourful tropical fish are everywhere. Whether it’s your first time snorkelling or you have been doing it forever, Titikaveka Beach will impress you. Parking is easy, or take the bus.
This was the first time we tried our new underwater compact camera, an Olympus Tough TG-5 (since upgraded to TG-6), in the ocean, and as you can see, it was a success. The ease of use, the richness of colours captured, and the RAW image output option let us create photographs that one would expect only from a huge and clunky underwater camera.
Muri Lagoon
A safe, protected (by four offshore islets) swimming area with easy entry from white sandy beaches. Muri Beach Rarotonga (including Muri Lagoon) is another great spot for snorkelling. Unfortunately, the wind was strong and coming from the wrong direction the week we visited, so we never had a chance to snorkel here.
Black Rock Rarotonga
The huge black rocks form a windbreak, creating a perfect place for us to snorkel. Our fish shots were similar to the ones above, but using the underwater closeup setting, I was able to get this shot:
Public beach near the Rarotongan Beach Resort and Spa
There is a fabulous snorkelling beach just west of the Rarotongan Resort Beach Resort and Spa.
The Rarotongan Beach Resort is where to stay for great snorkelling
There is easy beach access, wonderful snorkelling, and white sandy beaches at this family-friendly resort that also offers the Sanctuary, an adults-only option. As we were not staying here, we snorkelled on the nearby public beach. After we snorkelled, we headed to the Rarotongan for lunch and to feed the fish off the pier. Reserve your room at Rarotongan Beach Resort
Honestly, this is an island aimed at tourism. Rarotonga accommodations are as varied as in a major city anywhere in the world. They range from secluded to popular, from hostel to luxury, and from family-friendly to adults only. There is something for everyone. Find the best Rarotonga accommodation prices at booking.com.
Snorkelling Tours on Rarotonga
We chose to snorkel on our own, but there are several guided Rarotonga snorkelling options:
| TOUR | HIGHLIGHTS | DURATION |
| Muri Lagoon BBQ Lunch Cruise, including Snorkeling | Glass bottom boat cruise with time to snorkel Starts in Avarua and goes to Muri Hotel pick up and drop off BBQ lunch | 4 hrs |
| Turtle Sea Scooter Safari | Guided snorkelling to swim with sea turtles Use sea scooter underwater propulsion Optional wetsuit hire | 1.5 hrs |
| Lagoon Discovery Sea Scooter Safari | Guided snorkelling to explore coral canyons looking for fish, turtles, and rays Use sea scooter underwater propulsion Optional wetsuit hire | 2.5 hrs |
More on snorkelling in Rarotonga
- The buses on Rarotonga (clockwise and anti-clockwise) stop at most of the major beaches.
- Check with your resort before packing for your trip. Many resort packages include a mask, fins, snorkel and beach towels with your room.
- Don’t touch coral or fish.
- Most of the coastal waters are protected. Do not take anything from them (in most areas, it would be illegal to take anything).
- Bring an underwater compact camera into the water.
- Snorkelling is one of many things to do on the island of Rarotonga.
- If it’s your first visit to the island, start here: Rarotonga Travel Guide: What You Need to Know Before You Visit
Why I chose an Olympus Tough camera as my compact underwater camera
The Olympus Tough TG-6 is a compact point-and-shoot designed for adventure. Olympus made it waterproof, shockproof, crushproof, freezeproof, and dustproof. It’s a tough little camera that is perfect for any sport. (I actually used the older version, the TG-5, for most of the photos).
As a photographer, I was leary of a compact camera, but this one offers the option of high-resolution RAW stills or HD 4k video. The RAW output allows me to edit, where needed to recapture the colours that are sometimes lost from underwater surface shooting.
Best underwater compact camera
We had our Tough camera for about a month when we went to Rarotonga, but were really pleased with the results both underwater and on land. Of course, this isn’t the only underwater compact camera that would keep me happy. Here are the options we considered.
OLYMPUS Tough TG-6 Waterproof Camera
Waterproof to 15m / 50 feet
Crushproof (100 kgf)
Shockproof from 2.1m / 7 feet
Freezeproof to -10°C / 14°F
Anti-fog lens and dustproof
Ability to add lens or flash ring
4x Optical zoom and 12 megapixel Optical sensor resolution
4 macro shooting modes and 5 underwater shooting modes
Has image stabilization
Output: RAW and JPEG stills4K UHD video
Olympus TG-5 Waterproof Camera (Prior version)
As I still own and use it sometimes, I thought I would include it here:
Waterproof to 15m / 49 feet
Crushproof to 220 lb
Shockproof from 2.1m / 7 feet
Freezeproof to -10°C / 14°F
Anti-fog lens and dustproof
Ability to add lens or flash ring
4x Optical zoom.
Output: RAW and JPEG stills4K UHD video
Nikon W300 Waterproof Underwater Digital Camera
Waterproof to 30m / 98 feet
Shockproof from 2.4m / 8 feet
Cold-resistant to 14°F / -10°C
Dust-proof
5x Optical zoom.
Output: JPEG stills 4K UHD video
Ricoh WG-70 Orange Waterproof Digital Camera
Waterproof to 14m / 46 feet
Shockproof from 1.6m / 5 feet
Crushproof to 100kg / 220lbs
Freezeproof to -10°C / 14°F
6-LED ring light
5x Optical zoom and 16 megapixel Optical sensor resolution
25 shooting modes including an underwater mode
Has image stabilization
Output: JPEG stills, Full HD video
Save on your trip with these resources
These are our go-to companies when we travel. We believe this list to be the best in each category. You can’t go wrong using them on your trip too.
- Flights: we use Expedia for the best and cheapest flight options.
- Accommodations: we use Booking.com (hotels), VRBO (self-contained), or Hostelworld (budget).
- Cars (gas or electric): we use RentalCars to search for deals and dealer ratings.
- Motorcycles: we have heard good things about BikesBooking.
- Private guides: we often find the best option is to work with a private guide from Viator.
- Travel Insurance: while not required, we always opt for travel insurance and start at InsureMyTrip to compare coverage plans.
Check out our travel resources page for more companies that we use when you travel.
Save for later
If you enjoyed this article, please share it on social media and save it for later on Pinterest.
All underwater images on this page were shot on an Olympus Tough TG-5 (the predecessor to the Olympus TG-6).
Which underwater compact camera will you choose? Will you be snorkelling in Rarotonga?
Disclaimer: We worked with the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation. We were provided with complimentary entrances, tours and sample items to assist in the writing of this review. The opinions expressed here are strictly our own.
Alaina Thomas
This looks AMAZING. The photographs are stunning. While I have gone snorkeling a number of times, I have not yet invested in a camera to capture all of the beauty I see. You might just be convincing me that a camera is worth the purchase…
Amanda
So cool!!! I went snorkeling recently in Greece, but sadly there was hardly anything to see. Only a few fish here and there. I did snorkel in Anguilla years ago though and that was a lot of fun. I love the vibrant colors of the fish! Underwater cameras are so neat. We often use our GoPro, but we have a waterproof case for it.
ruma dey baidya
HI Rhonda
Excelent photography. I feel that I am in underwater. Ha ha..don’t mind please. Happy to follow.
beatravelling
I haven’t gotten around to using my waterproof system camera underneath the surface. A bit anxious to put it in water, it just feels strange for it to be able to survive 🙂 Will have to just do it 🙂
Rebecca
I have never went that deep in the ocean. This looks like such an amazing marine adventure! Bucket list thing.
Rebecca
Omg this looks like such an amazing marine adventure! I have never went that deep in the ocean. Bucket list thing
Rhonda Albom
It was fabulous and the fish are close to the surface in Rarotonga.
Sarah
Wow those photos are stunning! I hope to buy a waterproof camera sometime next year and this is a great alternative to GoPro … Thanks for sharing!
Joshua Schweigert
It looks like you got to see a ton of different colorful fish, coral and sea urchins! How awesome! I snorkeled recently off the coast of Costa Rica and unfortunately a lot of the coral was bleached out. There wasn’t much to see. It was pretty sad and actually motivated some really healthy changes involving waste reduction in my life.
Milijana
The tropical underwater world is so fascinating. You snapped some great photos! Congrats for a good job.
Would love to take some tropical photos by myself on Rarotonga one day. The Cook islands are on my wish list.
Sandy N Vyjay
The underwater world with its myriad colours is so fascinating and you have captured it so vividly. The Olympus TG-5 seems to be a very effective camera especially for underwater photography going by the excellent photos you have clicked. Rarotonga looks like paradise for underwater lovers.
AMBER TATTON
This looks awesome. I had a tough underwater camera, which was so tough, it got lost while scuba diving and never recovered. I have been thinking of getting into underwater photography again and you have totally inspired me to get a decent camera for the still shots.
stevebethere
Oh my what fantastic photos so clear too thanks for the tour 🙂
Have a snorkeltastic week Rhonda 🙂
Jen
Great images. (I love the starfish and the fish feeding off the pier!) Of the cameras that you listed, what made you choose this one? Thanks!
Rhonda Albom
The ability to shoot in raw format.
Vicky and Buddy
I think your photos came out great! The water and marine life were so colorful. That certainly is a good camera to have for underwater adventures. And it’s cool that they keep the same menu structure throughout so Olympus users find it easy to use.
Sarah
We can definitely vouch for the Olympus Tough! Such a handy & durable camera. We had one for a few years & took some cracking underwater shots with it also.
Medha Verma
Such fantastic pictures capture of the underwater sea life. I recently bought a GoPro myself so that I can also do it when I go diving in Australia. I haven’t ever considered visiting Cook Islands myself but maybe I should think about it because it looks pretty awesome!
Jennifer
We used to use a waterproof Olympus for snorkeling too. It was an older model but it worked very well and the photo quality was always quite good. We dive now and the Olympus isn’t suitable for those depths, plus you need some more options than a point and shoot offers when you’re dealing with lower light and depth. But for snorkeling, I’d definitely have upgraded to a new model.
Fiona Maclean
Wow those are great pics. I’ve tried using a go-pro underwater and it just doesn’t work for me – I think because it’s too far from my own camera (a panasonic lumix). The olympus tough looks spot on!
kenan
I’d never heard of Rarotonga until now but I love snorkeling so i think I would love snorkeling there. Thanks for capturing all those great photos and sharing them with us. I’ll make sure I get an underwater camera before I go!
Jitaditya
Interesting new camera. I am too used to my Nikon DSLR but yes, for an activity like this, I guess everyone needs a smaller, lighter, and more compact device. Photos have come out pretty great. I think Rarotonga is an excellent beach destination.
Stevo Joslin
The photos have left me speechless. And I’m sure it made you feel the same way, it’s quite hard to talk underwater. I’m glad that there are still some places in the world where the coral is still alive and kicking and supporting the local tropical fish. Good to know that the resorts have snorkeling gear on hand. And thanks for the tip on the flippers, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve duck-waddled my way down the beach! Now I know better. Thanks for sharing.
Carol Colborn
Your pictures are amazing. I have subscribed! May I ask you questions, too?
Rob+Ann
Wow – those are great photos! We got a GoPro specifically for underwater use and, frankly, have been a little disappointed. We just may have to grab an Olympus Tough before our next snorkeling trip! And we should probably work on making that next snorkeling trip a visit to Rarotonga! Thanks for the lowdown on the camera.
California Globetrotter
Whenever I see snorkelling posts, I always want to learn! We really should incorporate more beach trips into our travels so that we can see such beautiful images ourselves! Raritibga looks especially magnificent!
Anisa
Wow the snorkeling looks amazing! The visibility is fabulous and everything looks so colorful. I love when you can do it off of the beach. For underwater photos, I like to use my gopro. We have the gopro hero 5 black.
beatravelling
I snorkelled Titikaveka Beach too! Just went in once on Rarotonga as I had had the snorkelling adventure of a lifetime on Aitutaki before arriving 🙂
Christina
I love snorkelling but didn’t get a chance to go snorkelling in Rarotonga when I was there. I only passed through and spent most of my underwater time in the Aitutaki Lagoon. It looks like there are some pretty decent options of snorkelling tours to choose from for my next trip!
Lisa | Handmade in Israel
What wonderful photos! That blue starfish is amazing!
Anda
Wow, beautiful underwater pictures, Rhonda! I showed them to Laszlo and he is impressed. He has a very small underwater camera that he takes with him when he goes scuba diving, but that one doesn’t take so great pictures. Rarotonga looks really beautiful and your photos made me want to go to a tropical island now. I like snorkeling in warm waters.
Rhonda Albom
I agree. Warm water snorkelling is such a pleasure. Maybe time for a new underwater camera for Laszlo?
Vourneen
One of my favourite things to do on this planet is to snorkel. Especially when you can do so straight from the shoreline. I owned an older version of this camera which served us very well in Asia. The picture I also found lacking when compared to a mirrorless but you don’t have to worry about breaking it! The close-up shots are really impressive. Have to say I’m quite jealous.
Rhonda Albom
Yes, I am really enjoying this new camera.
noel
Looks like a fun visit to this tropical paradise and the coral and fish are so amazing. I’ve been thinking about an underwater camera and waiting for prices to be a little bit more competitive, will have to check out that low end Nikon since I’m just using it for water related activities.
Rhonda Albom
I like the features of the Nikon but the Olympus raw format capability made the decision easy for me.
Amy Franks
oh wow some impressive photos there, bet the urchin would hurt if you stood on it, think I like the starfish the best though and that coral looks like brains.
Rhonda Albom
It’s a good thing the urchin was in a crevice. I like the “brain” coral too.
Obligatory Traveler
I have the same camera. I haven’t used it underwater as I usually use my gopro, but your beautiful photos have inspired me to give it a try the next time I have a chance. I agree about how great the Olympus Tough TG-5 is. I’m super clumsy and accident prone, so I require cameras that can survive me. I also like that it’s compact so I can keep it in my pocket and just whip it out when I need it. The sports mode is also helpful for taking pictures when there’s a lot of movement around. The underwater scene at all of those beaches looks so cool.
Rhonda Albom
I think my favourite feature is the raw output so I can clean up the photos and do things like adjusting the exposure to a greater level than I can with jpegs.
E. Smith
These are some amazing underwater shots! The Olympus underwater series are such great cameras – especially for adventurers! What a nice experience!
Rhonda Albom
I had a lot of fun taking the photos and even more when I saw the downloads.
Candy
Such beautiful photos of the world under the water! I would love to visit Titikaveka Beach. Having easy access to parking is a huge plus for me and I would be a first-time snorkeler so I need a place that accommodates newbies like myself 🙂 Will definitely remember not to touch any fish or coral!
Rhonda Albom
Yes, never touch the coral. Aside from the damage you can cause, fire coral can be present and rubbing against it is not pleasant.
Brooke
What fun, colorful fish! It’s great to see so many vibrant colors and you’ve captured them very well with your photography. I love seeing all of the details, especially the sea urchin.
Rhonda Albom
Yes, the sea urchin is one of my favourite captures. The camera’s macro feature is great.
Hilary
Hi Rhonda – that looks amazing and with the right sort of camera … just perfect. Gorgeous photos you both took … no wonder you’ve given us sight of it – loved seeing it all … now I’m jealous!! Cheers Hilary
Rhonda Albom
The camera definitely helps. It has some scene presets for underwater and Lightroom adds the finishing touches.
Ryan Biddulph
The camera and snaps are quite awesome Rhonda. I cannot get over the clarity of water in this part of the world. Plus you feel like you’re swimming in a pool, no currents or waves. Incredibly peaceful experience.
Rhonda Albom
The island is surrounded by a reef so there is a little wave motion but not too much. And yes, the water is super clear.
Marisa
What a cool experience, My daughter would love to do something like this! I’m not a good swimmer but I would love to see this too! Great pics!
Rhonda Albom
The nice thing about snorkelling is that you just float and kick a little (with fins) to move about.
L. Diane Wolfe
You took some beautiful shots. If Cannon is your fodder, best to stick with it. (I’m a Nikon person, so that would be my choice.) What I love most about swimming is just hanging out underwater, so snorkeling would be perfect for me.
Rhonda Albom
I love my Olympus gear. It’s lightweight and great quality.
Brenda
Wow, amazing photo. I have never seen a sea urchin.
Rhonda Albom
The macro on the camera made that photo easy to get.
Luci
That is really beautiful photography. That’s a really great price for the digital camera like that.
Rhonda Albom
I agree. And the camera does great out of water photos too.
Amanda
That is an amazing camera! You take better pictures underwater than I do out of water! 🤣
Rhonda Albom
Thanks. The camera does make taking underwater photos quick and easy.
Lee
Oh my gosh, that is amazing! I love these photos
Rhonda Albom
They were easy to take.
Indrani
Wow seems like the perfect camera for underwater photography.
I had a short experience of snorkeling, need to see if I can do photography too next time.
Rhonda Albom
The TG-5 has a wide field of view making the underwater shots easy to take.
Comedy Plus
What beautiful shots and what a beautiful place to explore. Wow.
Have a fabulous day. ♥
Rhonda Albom
Rarotonga is a beautiful paradise.
Alex J. Cavanaugh
Wow, you got some amazing shots. I’d go for either of the longer excursions as they offer a variety. Plus snorkeling there sounds safer than doing it in open waters. (I have seen Jaws one too many times.)
Rhonda Albom
I loved snorkelling in Rarotonga. It’s like a giant tropical aquarium.