SeasonMap

Dive season, month by month around the world

Mantas on the cleaning stations, whale sharks, the sunfish months, the weeks the water is clear.

46 destinations on SeasonMap, ranked within each month by the comfort score — because the point is not only where the season is on, but whether the weather is worth the trip while it is.

← All seasons · The world's calendar

When it is on

Number of destinations with dive season on in that month. Windows move a little each year.

Dive season in January

  1. 🇲🇽 La Paz, Baja California, MexicoWhale shark season · 1 Oct – 30 AprJuvenile whale sharks feed in the shallow end of the bay from October to April, inside a federal refuge that caps boats and group sizes.93climate
  2. 🇦🇪 Fujairah, United Arab EmiratesGulf of Oman dive season · 15 Oct – 15 May (usually)Snoopy Island and the Dibba wrecks are at their clearest in the cooler half of the year; summer plankton blooms cut the visibility badly.92climate
  3. 🇮🇷 Kish Island, IranDiving and beach season · 15 Oct – 10 May (usually)The water is clearest and the air bearable in the cool half of the year, which is when the dive operators and the glass-bottom boats actually run properly.91climate
  4. Jamestown, Saint HelenaWhale shark season · 1 Jan – 30 Apr (usually)Whale sharks aggregate off the island between January and April and boats go out from Jamestown to snorkel with them.88climate
  5. 🇸🇩 Port Sudan, SudanRed Sea liveaboard season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off this coast — Sanganeb and the Sha'ab Rumi lagoon among them — are the reason anyone comes, and the boats run in the cooler half of the year when the water is clearest.86climate
  6. 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaRed Sea dive season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off Obhur creek and the wrecks south of the port are clearest and calmest from autumn through spring, before the summer water goes bathwater-warm and the visibility drops away.84climate
  7. The Bottom, SabaDive season · 1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)The clearest water of the year in the Saba National Marine Park, with visibility past a hundred feet at sites like the Pinnacles, and the fewest afternoon squalls.83climate
  8. 🇩🇯 Djibouti, DjiboutiWhale sharks in the gulf · 1 Nov – 15 Feb (usually)Plankton blooms in the Gulf of Tadjoura pull in a crowd of unusually young whale sharks, most of them only three or four metres long.79climate
  9. 🇹🇭 Ko Chang, ThailandWreck and reef diving season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)The months the boats run south to the HTMS Chang wreck and the Rang islands, when visibility is worth the crossing.75climate
  10. 🇮🇳 Havelock Island, IndiaDive and boat season · 15 Oct – 15 MayThe dive centres on Beach No.75climate
  11. 🇮🇳 Port Blair, IndiaSailing and dive season · 15 Oct – 10 MayThe sea settles, the catamarans to Havelock and Neil run to timetable, and every dive centre in the territory is open.73climate
  12. 🇰🇪 Mombasa, KenyaWhale sharks off the coast · 1 Dec – 31 Mar (usually)Whale sharks move along the Kenyan coast through the northeast monsoon, and the boats that go looking for them run out of Diani and Watamu rather than Mombasa itself.72climate
  13. 🇹🇭 Ko Lanta, ThailandHin Daeng and Hin Muang season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)The deep pinnacles two hours south are the reason people come here to dive, and the boats only run in the settled months.71climate
  14. 🇦🇺 Byron Bay, AustraliaLeopard sharks at Julian Rocks · 1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)Through the warm months leopard sharks gather on the sand at Julian Rocks, twenty minutes offshore, and swap places with the grey nurse sharks that hold there in winter.69climate
  15. 🇲🇻 Malé, MaldivesWhale sharks in South Ari · 1 Jan – 31 Dec (usually)The juveniles off Maamigili are the one aggregation in the country that holds all year, which is why the day boats run out of Male in any month.62climate
  16. 🇲🇿 Vilankulo, MozambiqueWhale sharks and mantas · 1 Oct – 15 Apr (usually)Whale sharks and manta rays gather around the Bazaruto channel from October through to April, a window that overlaps with the archipelago's hottest and wettest months.62climate
  17. 🇲🇿 Tofo, MozambiqueWhale shark season · 1 Oct – 15 Mar (usually)Whale sharks gather off the reef from October to March, most reliably in December and January when plankton blooms bring them close enough for the ocean-safari boats that launch straight off the beach at dawn.61climate
  18. 🇫🇲 Chuuk, MicronesiaCalm months on the wrecks · 1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)The north-east trades settle the lagoon from about December to April, which is when the crossings to the far wrecks are comfortable and the water inside the holds is at its clearest.56climate
  19. 🇮🇩 Raja Ampat, IndonesiaManta season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)Plankton in the straits brings reef mantas onto the cleaning stations around Dampier and Arborek, densest in the first months of the year.52climate
  20. 🇮🇩 Labuan Bajo, IndonesiaManta season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)Plankton in the channel brings reef mantas onto the cleaning stations at Karang Makassar and, further south, Manta Alley.49climate

What's on around the world in January →

Dive season in February

  1. 🇮🇷 Kish Island, IranDiving and beach season · 15 Oct – 10 May (usually)The water is clearest and the air bearable in the cool half of the year, which is when the dive operators and the glass-bottom boats actually run properly.93climate
  2. 🇸🇩 Port Sudan, SudanRed Sea liveaboard season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off this coast — Sanganeb and the Sha'ab Rumi lagoon among them — are the reason anyone comes, and the boats run in the cooler half of the year when the water is clearest.91climate
  3. 🇲🇽 La Paz, Baja California, MexicoWhale shark season · 1 Oct – 30 AprJuvenile whale sharks feed in the shallow end of the bay from October to April, inside a federal refuge that caps boats and group sizes.91climate
  4. 🇦🇪 Fujairah, United Arab EmiratesGulf of Oman dive season · 15 Oct – 15 May (usually)Snoopy Island and the Dibba wrecks are at their clearest in the cooler half of the year; summer plankton blooms cut the visibility badly.89climate
  5. Jamestown, Saint HelenaWhale shark season · 1 Jan – 30 Apr (usually)Whale sharks aggregate off the island between January and April and boats go out from Jamestown to snorkel with them.87climate
  6. 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaRed Sea dive season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off Obhur creek and the wrecks south of the port are clearest and calmest from autumn through spring, before the summer water goes bathwater-warm and the visibility drops away.85climate
  7. The Bottom, SabaDive season · 1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)The clearest water of the year in the Saba National Marine Park, with visibility past a hundred feet at sites like the Pinnacles, and the fewest afternoon squalls.84climate
  8. 🇩🇯 Djibouti, DjiboutiWhale sharks in the gulf · 1 Nov – 15 Feb (usually)Plankton blooms in the Gulf of Tadjoura pull in a crowd of unusually young whale sharks, most of them only three or four metres long.80climate
  9. 🇮🇳 Havelock Island, IndiaDive and boat season · 15 Oct – 15 MayThe dive centres on Beach No.78climate
  10. 🇮🇳 Port Blair, IndiaSailing and dive season · 15 Oct – 10 MayThe sea settles, the catamarans to Havelock and Neil run to timetable, and every dive centre in the territory is open.76climate
  11. 🇹🇭 Ko Lanta, ThailandHin Daeng and Hin Muang season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)The deep pinnacles two hours south are the reason people come here to dive, and the boats only run in the settled months.75climate
  12. 🇭🇳 Roatán, HondurasWhale sharks in the Bay Islands · 20 Feb – 30 Apr (usually)The reliable encounters are off Utila, an hour west by boat, where the shelf drops into deep water and the boils bring plankton up.74climate
  13. 🇹🇭 Khao Lak, ThailandManta and whale shark season · 1 Feb – 5 May (usually)The tail of the dive season at Richelieu Rock and Koh Bon, when the plankton is up and the big animals follow it.74climate
  14. 🇹🇭 Ko Chang, ThailandWreck and reef diving season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)The months the boats run south to the HTMS Chang wreck and the Rang islands, when visibility is worth the crossing.73climate
  15. 🇭🇳 Utila, HondurasWhale shark season · 1 Feb – 31 May (usually)Utila is one of the few places whale sharks are seen year-round, but February to May is when sightings are most reliable, peaking in March and April as plankton blooms draw them close to shore.73climate
  16. 🇰🇪 Mombasa, KenyaWhale sharks off the coast · 1 Dec – 31 Mar (usually)Whale sharks move along the Kenyan coast through the northeast monsoon, and the boats that go looking for them run out of Diani and Watamu rather than Mombasa itself.72climate
  17. 🇲🇻 Malé, MaldivesWhale sharks in South Ari · 1 Jan – 31 Dec (usually)The juveniles off Maamigili are the one aggregation in the country that holds all year, which is why the day boats run out of Male in any month.70climate
  18. 🇦🇺 Byron Bay, AustraliaLeopard sharks at Julian Rocks · 1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)Through the warm months leopard sharks gather on the sand at Julian Rocks, twenty minutes offshore, and swap places with the grey nurse sharks that hold there in winter.66climate
  19. 🇲🇿 Tofo, MozambiqueWhale shark season · 1 Oct – 15 Mar (usually)Whale sharks gather off the reef from October to March, most reliably in December and January when plankton blooms bring them close enough for the ocean-safari boats that launch straight off the beach at dawn.63climate
  20. 🇫🇲 Chuuk, MicronesiaCalm months on the wrecks · 1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)The north-east trades settle the lagoon from about December to April, which is when the crossings to the far wrecks are comfortable and the water inside the holds is at its clearest.60climate
  21. 🇮🇩 Raja Ampat, IndonesiaManta season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)Plankton in the straits brings reef mantas onto the cleaning stations around Dampier and Arborek, densest in the first months of the year.59climate
  22. 🇲🇿 Vilankulo, MozambiqueWhale sharks and mantas · 1 Oct – 15 Apr (usually)Whale sharks and manta rays gather around the Bazaruto channel from October through to April, a window that overlaps with the archipelago's hottest and wettest months.59climate
  23. 🇮🇩 Labuan Bajo, IndonesiaManta season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)Plankton in the channel brings reef mantas onto the cleaning stations at Karang Makassar and, further south, Manta Alley.52climate

What's on around the world in February →

Dive season in March

  1. 🇲🇽 La Paz, Baja California, MexicoWhale shark season · 1 Oct – 30 AprJuvenile whale sharks feed in the shallow end of the bay from October to April, inside a federal refuge that caps boats and group sizes.86climate
  2. The Bottom, SabaDive season · 1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)The clearest water of the year in the Saba National Marine Park, with visibility past a hundred feet at sites like the Pinnacles, and the fewest afternoon squalls.86climate
  3. 🇸🇩 Port Sudan, SudanRed Sea liveaboard season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off this coast — Sanganeb and the Sha'ab Rumi lagoon among them — are the reason anyone comes, and the boats run in the cooler half of the year when the water is clearest.85climate
  4. Jamestown, Saint HelenaWhale shark season · 1 Jan – 30 Apr (usually)Whale sharks aggregate off the island between January and April and boats go out from Jamestown to snorkel with them.85climate
  5. 🇮🇷 Kish Island, IranDiving and beach season · 15 Oct – 10 May (usually)The water is clearest and the air bearable in the cool half of the year, which is when the dive operators and the glass-bottom boats actually run properly.83climate
  6. 🇦🇪 Fujairah, United Arab EmiratesGulf of Oman dive season · 15 Oct – 15 May (usually)Snoopy Island and the Dibba wrecks are at their clearest in the cooler half of the year; summer plankton blooms cut the visibility badly.81climate
  7. 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaRed Sea dive season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off Obhur creek and the wrecks south of the port are clearest and calmest from autumn through spring, before the summer water goes bathwater-warm and the visibility drops away.79climate
  8. 🇲🇾 Tioman, MalaysiaDive season · 1 Mar – 31 Oct (usually)The months the dive shops are open and the crossing from Mersing is routine.79climate
  9. 🇹🇭 Ko Tao, ThailandWhale shark season · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)They turn up on the pinnacles for a few weeks in the spring, and again in a smaller run around September and October.77climate
  10. 🇻🇳 Con Dao, VietnamCalm seas and clear water · 1 Mar – 30 Jun (usually)Between the two monsoons the crossing settles and the water over the reef clears.77climate
  11. 🇮🇳 Havelock Island, IndiaDive and boat season · 15 Oct – 15 MayThe dive centres on Beach No.76climate
  12. 🇧🇿 Placencia, BelizeWhale sharks at Gladden Spit · 15 Mar – 15 Jun (usually)Cubera snapper spawn at Gladden Spit, 22 miles offshore, in the days after each full moon and whale sharks come up under them to feed.76climate
  13. 🇭🇳 Utila, HondurasWhale shark season · 1 Feb – 31 May (usually)Utila is one of the few places whale sharks are seen year-round, but February to May is when sightings are most reliable, peaking in March and April as plankton blooms draw them close to shore.76climate
  14. 🇮🇳 Port Blair, IndiaSailing and dive season · 15 Oct – 10 MayThe sea settles, the catamarans to Havelock and Neil run to timetable, and every dive centre in the territory is open.75climate
  15. 🇭🇳 Roatán, HondurasWhale sharks in the Bay Islands · 20 Feb – 30 Apr (usually)The reliable encounters are off Utila, an hour west by boat, where the shelf drops into deep water and the boils bring plankton up.73climate
  16. 🇸🇨 Praslin, SeychellesThe calm between monsoons · 25 Mar – 10 May (usually)The turn between the two winds: barely any breeze, water like a pool and the visibility divers come for.71climate
  17. 🇲🇿 Tofo, MozambiqueWhale shark season · 1 Oct – 15 Mar (usually)Whale sharks gather off the reef from October to March, most reliably in December and January when plankton blooms bring them close enough for the ocean-safari boats that launch straight off the beach at dawn.70climate
  18. 🇹🇭 Ko Lanta, ThailandHin Daeng and Hin Muang season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)The deep pinnacles two hours south are the reason people come here to dive, and the boats only run in the settled months.70climate
  19. 🇲🇿 Vilankulo, MozambiqueWhale sharks and mantas · 1 Oct – 15 Apr (usually)Whale sharks and manta rays gather around the Bazaruto channel from October through to April, a window that overlaps with the archipelago's hottest and wettest months.70climate
  20. 🇹🇭 Khao Lak, ThailandManta and whale shark season · 1 Feb – 5 May (usually)The tail of the dive season at Richelieu Rock and Koh Bon, when the plankton is up and the big animals follow it.68climate
  21. 🇦🇺 Exmouth, AustraliaNingaloo coral spawning · 5–31 Mar (usually)The reef releases on the nights after the March full moon.68climate
  22. 🇰🇪 Mombasa, KenyaWhale sharks off the coast · 1 Dec – 31 Mar (usually)Whale sharks move along the Kenyan coast through the northeast monsoon, and the boats that go looking for them run out of Diani and Watamu rather than Mombasa itself.67climate
  23. 🇲🇻 Malé, MaldivesWhale sharks in South Ari · 1 Jan – 31 Dec (usually)The juveniles off Maamigili are the one aggregation in the country that holds all year, which is why the day boats run out of Male in any month.66climate
  24. 🇸🇨 Victoria, SeychellesInter-monsoon calms · 15 Mar – 15 May (usually)Between the two monsoons the wind drops and the water off Mahé goes flat and clear, which is when the granite dive sites and the boats to the outer islands are at their best.66climate
  25. 🇹🇭 Ko Chang, ThailandWreck and reef diving season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)The months the boats run south to the HTMS Chang wreck and the Rang islands, when visibility is worth the crossing.66climate

…and 4 more in March.

What's on around the world in March →

Dive season in April

  1. Jamestown, Saint HelenaWhale shark season · 1 Jan – 30 Apr (usually)Whale sharks aggregate off the island between January and April and boats go out from Jamestown to snorkel with them.87climate
  2. 🇲🇽 La Paz, Baja California, MexicoWhale shark season · 1 Oct – 30 AprJuvenile whale sharks feed in the shallow end of the bay from October to April, inside a federal refuge that caps boats and group sizes.82climate
  3. The Bottom, SabaDive season · 1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)The clearest water of the year in the Saba National Marine Park, with visibility past a hundred feet at sites like the Pinnacles, and the fewest afternoon squalls.82climate
  4. 🇦🇺 Byron Bay, AustraliaLeopard sharks at Julian Rocks · 1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)Through the warm months leopard sharks gather on the sand at Julian Rocks, twenty minutes offshore, and swap places with the grey nurse sharks that hold there in winter.79climate
  5. 🇸🇩 Port Sudan, SudanRed Sea liveaboard season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off this coast — Sanganeb and the Sha'ab Rumi lagoon among them — are the reason anyone comes, and the boats run in the cooler half of the year when the water is clearest.78climate
  6. 🇲🇾 Tioman, MalaysiaDive season · 1 Mar – 31 Oct (usually)The months the dive shops are open and the crossing from Mersing is routine.76climate
  7. 🇲🇿 Vilankulo, MozambiqueWhale sharks and mantas · 1 Oct – 15 Apr (usually)Whale sharks and manta rays gather around the Bazaruto channel from October through to April, a window that overlaps with the archipelago's hottest and wettest months.76climate
  8. 🇦🇺 Exmouth, AustraliaWhale shark season · 10 Mar – 10 Aug (usually)Whale sharks feed along the outside of the reef from March into August, spotter plane overhead and a licensed boat below.75climate
  9. 🇭🇳 Utila, HondurasWhale shark season · 1 Feb – 31 May (usually)Utila is one of the few places whale sharks are seen year-round, but February to May is when sightings are most reliable, peaking in March and April as plankton blooms draw them close to shore.74climate
  10. 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaRed Sea dive season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off Obhur creek and the wrecks south of the port are clearest and calmest from autumn through spring, before the summer water goes bathwater-warm and the visibility drops away.73climate
  11. 🇧🇿 Placencia, BelizeWhale sharks at Gladden Spit · 15 Mar – 15 Jun (usually)Cubera snapper spawn at Gladden Spit, 22 miles offshore, in the days after each full moon and whale sharks come up under them to feed.73climate
  12. 🇮🇷 Kish Island, IranDiving and beach season · 15 Oct – 10 May (usually)The water is clearest and the air bearable in the cool half of the year, which is when the dive operators and the glass-bottom boats actually run properly.73climate
  13. 🇭🇳 Roatán, HondurasWhale sharks in the Bay Islands · 20 Feb – 30 Apr (usually)The reliable encounters are off Utila, an hour west by boat, where the shelf drops into deep water and the boils bring plankton up.71climate
  14. 🇻🇳 Con Dao, VietnamCalm seas and clear water · 1 Mar – 30 Jun (usually)Between the two monsoons the crossing settles and the water over the reef clears.71climate
  15. 🇹🇭 Ko Tao, ThailandWhale shark season · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)They turn up on the pinnacles for a few weeks in the spring, and again in a smaller run around September and October.70climate
  16. 🇮🇳 Havelock Island, IndiaDive and boat season · 15 Oct – 15 MayThe dive centres on Beach No.70climate
  17. 🇦🇪 Fujairah, United Arab EmiratesGulf of Oman dive season · 15 Oct – 15 May (usually)Snoopy Island and the Dibba wrecks are at their clearest in the cooler half of the year; summer plankton blooms cut the visibility badly.70climate
  18. 🇮🇳 Port Blair, IndiaSailing and dive season · 15 Oct – 10 MayThe sea settles, the catamarans to Havelock and Neil run to timetable, and every dive centre in the territory is open.68climate
  19. 🇸🇨 Praslin, SeychellesThe calm between monsoons · 25 Mar – 10 May (usually)The turn between the two winds: barely any breeze, water like a pool and the visibility divers come for.67climate
  20. 🇲🇻 Malé, MaldivesWhale sharks in South Ari · 1 Jan – 31 Dec (usually)The juveniles off Maamigili are the one aggregation in the country that holds all year, which is why the day boats run out of Male in any month.64climate
  21. 🇸🇨 Victoria, SeychellesInter-monsoon calms · 15 Mar – 15 May (usually)Between the two monsoons the wind drops and the water off Mahé goes flat and clear, which is when the granite dive sites and the boats to the outer islands are at their best.62climate
  22. 🇹🇭 Ko Lanta, ThailandHin Daeng and Hin Muang season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)The deep pinnacles two hours south are the reason people come here to dive, and the boats only run in the settled months.61climate
  23. 🇹🇭 Ko Chang, ThailandWreck and reef diving season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)The months the boats run south to the HTMS Chang wreck and the Rang islands, when visibility is worth the crossing.61climate
  24. 🇹🇭 Khao Lak, ThailandManta and whale shark season · 1 Feb – 5 May (usually)The tail of the dive season at Richelieu Rock and Koh Bon, when the plankton is up and the big animals follow it.61climate
  25. 🇮🇩 Labuan Bajo, IndonesiaManta season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)Plankton in the channel brings reef mantas onto the cleaning stations at Karang Makassar and, further south, Manta Alley.59climate

…and 3 more in April.

What's on around the world in April →

Dive season in May

  1. 🇦🇺 Exmouth, AustraliaWhale shark season · 10 Mar – 10 Aug (usually)Whale sharks feed along the outside of the reef from March into August, spotter plane overhead and a licensed boat below.84climate
  2. 🇭🇳 Utila, HondurasWhale shark season · 1 Feb – 31 May (usually)Utila is one of the few places whale sharks are seen year-round, but February to May is when sightings are most reliable, peaking in March and April as plankton blooms draw them close to shore.74climate
  3. 🇫🇯 Nadi, FijiManta season in the Yasawas · 1 May – 31 Oct (usually)Reef mantas feed in the channel at Drawaqa through the dry half of the year and are snorkelled from a boat when the tide runs.73climate
  4. 🇲🇾 Tioman, MalaysiaDive season · 1 Mar – 31 Oct (usually)The months the dive shops are open and the crossing from Mersing is routine.71climate
  5. 🇲🇽 Holbox, MexicoWhale shark season · 15 May – 17 SepThe season is fixed by permit, mid-May to mid-September, and boats leave before dawn for the feeding aggregation well offshore.69climate
  6. 🇲🇽 Isla Mujeres, MexicoWhale shark season · 15 May – 17 SepPermits run mid-May to mid-September for the aggregation twenty-odd miles north of the island.68climate
  7. 🇧🇿 Placencia, BelizeWhale sharks at Gladden Spit · 15 Mar – 15 Jun (usually)Cubera snapper spawn at Gladden Spit, 22 miles offshore, in the days after each full moon and whale sharks come up under them to feed.66climate
  8. 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaRed Sea dive season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off Obhur creek and the wrecks south of the port are clearest and calmest from autumn through spring, before the summer water goes bathwater-warm and the visibility drops away.65climate
  9. 🇺🇸 Dry Tortugas National Park, United StatesCalm-water snorkelling season · 1 May – 31 Aug (usually)The wind drops between the winter fronts and the peak of hurricane season, and the moat wall and the coaling docks are as clear as they get.63climate
  10. 🇹🇭 Ko Tao, ThailandWhale shark season · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)They turn up on the pinnacles for a few weeks in the spring, and again in a smaller run around September and October.63climate
  11. 🇸🇩 Port Sudan, SudanRed Sea liveaboard season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off this coast — Sanganeb and the Sha'ab Rumi lagoon among them — are the reason anyone comes, and the boats run in the cooler half of the year when the water is clearest.61climate
  12. 🇸🇨 Praslin, SeychellesThe calm between monsoons · 25 Mar – 10 May (usually)The turn between the two winds: barely any breeze, water like a pool and the visibility divers come for.61climate
  13. 🇻🇳 Con Dao, VietnamCalm seas and clear water · 1 Mar – 30 Jun (usually)Between the two monsoons the crossing settles and the water over the reef clears.59climate
  14. 🇮🇷 Kish Island, IranDiving and beach season · 15 Oct – 10 May (usually)The water is clearest and the air bearable in the cool half of the year, which is when the dive operators and the glass-bottom boats actually run properly.57climate
  15. 🇸🇨 Victoria, SeychellesInter-monsoon calms · 15 Mar – 15 May (usually)Between the two monsoons the wind drops and the water off Mahé goes flat and clear, which is when the granite dive sites and the boats to the outer islands are at their best.56climate
  16. 🇸🇧 Honiara, Solomon IslandsClearer water on Iron Bottom Sound · 1 Apr – 30 Nov (usually)The drier half of the year settles the run-off and the wrecks off the Guadalcanal shore come back into view — the Bonegi ships are a walk-in from the road.51climate
  17. 🇲🇻 Malé, MaldivesWhale sharks in South Ari · 1 Jan – 31 Dec (usually)The juveniles off Maamigili are the one aggregation in the country that holds all year, which is why the day boats run out of Male in any month.50climate
  18. 🇮🇳 Havelock Island, IndiaDive and boat season · 15 Oct – 15 MayThe dive centres on Beach No.50climate
  19. 🇮🇩 Manado, IndonesiaCalmest months for Bunaken · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)The drier stretch either side of midyear is when the crossing out to Bunaken is flattest and the wall dives are at their clearest.48climate
  20. 🇮🇳 Port Blair, IndiaSailing and dive season · 15 Oct – 10 MayThe sea settles, the catamarans to Havelock and Neil run to timetable, and every dive centre in the territory is open.46climate
  21. 🇹🇭 Khao Lak, ThailandManta and whale shark season · 1 Feb – 5 May (usually)The tail of the dive season at Richelieu Rock and Koh Bon, when the plankton is up and the big animals follow it.46climate
  22. 🇦🇪 Fujairah, United Arab EmiratesGulf of Oman dive season · 15 Oct – 15 May (usually)Snoopy Island and the Dibba wrecks are at their clearest in the cooler half of the year; summer plankton blooms cut the visibility badly.44climate

What's on around the world in May →

Dive season in June

  1. 🇦🇺 Exmouth, AustraliaWhale shark season · 10 Mar – 10 Aug (usually)Whale sharks feed along the outside of the reef from March into August, spotter plane overhead and a licensed boat below.86climate
  2. 🇫🇯 Nadi, FijiManta season in the Yasawas · 1 May – 31 Oct (usually)Reef mantas feed in the channel at Drawaqa through the dry half of the year and are snorkelled from a boat when the tide runs.80climate
  3. 🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora, EcuadorWhale sharks at Darwin and Wolf · 15 Jun – 15 Nov (usually)Large females pass the far northern rocks through the cool season.80climate
  4. 🇲🇾 Tioman, MalaysiaDive season · 1 Mar – 31 Oct (usually)The months the dive shops are open and the crossing from Mersing is routine.73climate
  5. 🇲🇻 Malé, MaldivesWhale sharks in South Ari · 1 Jan – 31 Dec (usually)The juveniles off Maamigili are the one aggregation in the country that holds all year, which is why the day boats run out of Male in any month.66climate
  6. George Town, Cayman IslandsSilversides in the swim-throughs · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Baitballs of silversides pack the caverns at Devil's Grotto and Eden Rock, right off the George Town waterfront, with tarpon working through them.61climate
  7. 🇸🇧 Honiara, Solomon IslandsClearer water on Iron Bottom Sound · 1 Apr – 30 Nov (usually)The drier half of the year settles the run-off and the wrecks off the Guadalcanal shore come back into view — the Bonegi ships are a walk-in from the road.60climate
  8. 🇲🇽 Holbox, MexicoWhale shark season · 15 May – 17 SepThe season is fixed by permit, mid-May to mid-September, and boats leave before dawn for the feeding aggregation well offshore.60climate
  9. 🇲🇽 Cancún, MexicoWhale sharks off Isla Mujeres · 15 Jun – 15 SepHundreds of whale sharks gather to feed north of Isla Mujeres and the permitted swim season runs from mid-June to mid-September, July being the densest.57climate
  10. 🇯🇵 Ishigaki, JapanManta season at Kabira · 1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually)The cleaning stations off Kabira draw mantas through the second half of the year, with the best odds from August to October.57climate
  11. 🇻🇳 Con Dao, VietnamCalm seas and clear water · 1 Mar – 30 Jun (usually)Between the two monsoons the crossing settles and the water over the reef clears.57climate
  12. 🇲🇽 Isla Mujeres, MexicoWhale shark season · 15 May – 17 SepPermits run mid-May to mid-September for the aggregation twenty-odd miles north of the island.57climate
  13. 🇺🇸 Dry Tortugas National Park, United StatesCalm-water snorkelling season · 1 May – 31 Aug (usually)The wind drops between the winter fronts and the peak of hurricane season, and the moat wall and the coaling docks are as clear as they get.56climate
  14. 🇧🇿 Placencia, BelizeWhale sharks at Gladden Spit · 15 Mar – 15 Jun (usually)Cubera snapper spawn at Gladden Spit, 22 miles offshore, in the days after each full moon and whale sharks come up under them to feed.51climate
  15. 🇮🇩 Manado, IndonesiaCalmest months for Bunaken · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)The drier stretch either side of midyear is when the crossing out to Bunaken is flattest and the wall dives are at their clearest.49climate

What's on around the world in June →

Dive season in July

  1. 🇦🇺 Exmouth, AustraliaWhale shark season · 10 Mar – 10 Aug (usually)Whale sharks feed along the outside of the reef from March into August, spotter plane overhead and a licensed boat below.93climate
  2. 🇫🇯 Nadi, FijiManta season in the Yasawas · 1 May – 31 Oct (usually)Reef mantas feed in the channel at Drawaqa through the dry half of the year and are snorkelled from a boat when the tide runs.84climate
  3. 🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora, EcuadorWhale sharks at Darwin and Wolf · 15 Jun – 15 Nov (usually)Large females pass the far northern rocks through the cool season.83climate
  4. 🇮🇩 Nusa Penida, IndonesiaMola season · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)Cold upwelling in the Badung Strait brings oceanic sunfish up to the cleaning stations at Crystal Bay, with August and September the most reliable weeks.82climate
  5. 🇲🇾 Tioman, MalaysiaDive season · 1 Mar – 31 Oct (usually)The months the dive shops are open and the crossing from Mersing is routine.77climate
  6. 🇲🇽 Cancún, MexicoWhale sharks off Isla Mujeres · 15 Jun – 15 SepHundreds of whale sharks gather to feed north of Isla Mujeres and the permitted swim season runs from mid-June to mid-September, July being the densest.65climate
  7. George Town, Cayman IslandsSilversides in the swim-throughs · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Baitballs of silversides pack the caverns at Devil's Grotto and Eden Rock, right off the George Town waterfront, with tarpon working through them.65climate
  8. 🇲🇽 Holbox, MexicoWhale shark season · 15 May – 17 SepThe season is fixed by permit, mid-May to mid-September, and boats leave before dawn for the feeding aggregation well offshore.65climate
  9. 🇲🇽 Isla Mujeres, MexicoWhale shark season · 15 May – 17 SepPermits run mid-May to mid-September for the aggregation twenty-odd miles north of the island.65climate
  10. 🇲🇻 Malé, MaldivesWhale sharks in South Ari · 1 Jan – 31 Dec (usually)The juveniles off Maamigili are the one aggregation in the country that holds all year, which is why the day boats run out of Male in any month.61climate
  11. 🇺🇸 Dry Tortugas National Park, United StatesCalm-water snorkelling season · 1 May – 31 Aug (usually)The wind drops between the winter fronts and the peak of hurricane season, and the moat wall and the coaling docks are as clear as they get.59climate
  12. 🇸🇧 Honiara, Solomon IslandsClearer water on Iron Bottom Sound · 1 Apr – 30 Nov (usually)The drier half of the year settles the run-off and the wrecks off the Guadalcanal shore come back into view — the Bonegi ships are a walk-in from the road.57climate
  13. 🇯🇵 Ishigaki, JapanManta season at Kabira · 1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually)The cleaning stations off Kabira draw mantas through the second half of the year, with the best odds from August to October.55climate
  14. 🇮🇩 Manado, IndonesiaCalmest months for Bunaken · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)The drier stretch either side of midyear is when the crossing out to Bunaken is flattest and the wall dives are at their clearest.51climate

What's on around the world in July →

Dive season in August

  1. 🇦🇺 Exmouth, AustraliaWhale shark season · 10 Mar – 10 Aug (usually)Whale sharks feed along the outside of the reef from March into August, spotter plane overhead and a licensed boat below.94climate
  2. 🇲🇼 Nkhata Bay, MalawiBest diving visibility · 1 Aug – 15 Dec (usually)The dry season brings the clearest water of the year, with visibility reaching up to thirty metres over the cichlid reefs.91climate
  3. 🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora, EcuadorWhale sharks at Darwin and Wolf · 15 Jun – 15 Nov (usually)Large females pass the far northern rocks through the cool season.87climate
  4. 🇮🇩 Nusa Penida, IndonesiaMola season · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)Cold upwelling in the Badung Strait brings oceanic sunfish up to the cleaning stations at Crystal Bay, with August and September the most reliable weeks.85climate
  5. 🇫🇯 Nadi, FijiManta season in the Yasawas · 1 May – 31 Oct (usually)Reef mantas feed in the channel at Drawaqa through the dry half of the year and are snorkelled from a boat when the tide runs.81climate
  6. 🇺🇸 Channel Islands National Park, United StatesThe clear-water months · 15 Aug – 31 Oct (usually)Late summer into October brings the calmest seas, the warmest water and visibility that can reach thirty metres in the kelp.78climate
  7. 🇲🇾 Tioman, MalaysiaDive season · 1 Mar – 31 Oct (usually)The months the dive shops are open and the crossing from Mersing is routine.77climate
  8. 🇸🇨 Beau Vallon, SeychellesWhale sharks off the bay · 1 Aug – 31 Oct (usually)The monitoring programme runs from August to the end of October and the boats go out from the bay itself, spotter plane overhead.75climate
  9. 🇸🇨 Victoria, SeychellesWhale sharks off Mahé · 15 Aug – 15 Nov (usually)Whale sharks pass the granitic islands as the trades ease, with a spotter plane and a small licensed fleet working out of the west coast.74climate
  10. 🇭🇳 Roatán, HondurasCoral spawning nights · 20 Aug – 25 Sep (usually)The reef spawns on the nights after the late-summer full moons and the shops run boats out at nine or ten.64climate
  11. 🇲🇻 Malé, MaldivesWhale sharks in South Ari · 1 Jan – 31 Dec (usually)The juveniles off Maamigili are the one aggregation in the country that holds all year, which is why the day boats run out of Male in any month.63climate
  12. George Town, Cayman IslandsSilversides in the swim-throughs · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Baitballs of silversides pack the caverns at Devil's Grotto and Eden Rock, right off the George Town waterfront, with tarpon working through them.63climate
  13. 🇲🇽 Holbox, MexicoWhale shark season · 15 May – 17 SepThe season is fixed by permit, mid-May to mid-September, and boats leave before dawn for the feeding aggregation well offshore.61climate
  14. 🇲🇽 Cancún, MexicoWhale sharks off Isla Mujeres · 15 Jun – 15 SepHundreds of whale sharks gather to feed north of Isla Mujeres and the permitted swim season runs from mid-June to mid-September, July being the densest.60climate
  15. 🇲🇽 Isla Mujeres, MexicoWhale shark season · 15 May – 17 SepPermits run mid-May to mid-September for the aggregation twenty-odd miles north of the island.60climate
  16. 🇮🇩 Manado, IndonesiaCalmest months for Bunaken · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)The drier stretch either side of midyear is when the crossing out to Bunaken is flattest and the wall dives are at their clearest.58climate
  17. 🇸🇧 Honiara, Solomon IslandsClearer water on Iron Bottom Sound · 1 Apr – 30 Nov (usually)The drier half of the year settles the run-off and the wrecks off the Guadalcanal shore come back into view — the Bonegi ships are a walk-in from the road.57climate
  18. 🇺🇸 Dry Tortugas National Park, United StatesCalm-water snorkelling season · 1 May – 31 Aug (usually)The wind drops between the winter fronts and the peak of hurricane season, and the moat wall and the coaling docks are as clear as they get.53climate
  19. 🇯🇵 Ishigaki, JapanManta season at Kabira · 1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually)The cleaning stations off Kabira draw mantas through the second half of the year, with the best odds from August to October.51climate

What's on around the world in August →

Dive season in September

  1. 🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora, EcuadorWhale sharks at Darwin and Wolf · 15 Jun – 15 Nov (usually)Large females pass the far northern rocks through the cool season.88climate
  2. 🇲🇼 Nkhata Bay, MalawiBest diving visibility · 1 Aug – 15 Dec (usually)The dry season brings the clearest water of the year, with visibility reaching up to thirty metres over the cichlid reefs.83climate
  3. 🇮🇩 Nusa Penida, IndonesiaMola season · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)Cold upwelling in the Badung Strait brings oceanic sunfish up to the cleaning stations at Crystal Bay, with August and September the most reliable weeks.79climate
  4. 🇫🇯 Nadi, FijiManta season in the Yasawas · 1 May – 31 Oct (usually)Reef mantas feed in the channel at Drawaqa through the dry half of the year and are snorkelled from a boat when the tide runs.78climate
  5. 🇲🇬 Nosy Be, MadagascarWhale sharks · 1 Sep – 15 Dec (usually)Whale sharks feed off the north of the island through the last quarter of the year, thickest in October and November.78climate
  6. 🇺🇸 Channel Islands National Park, United StatesThe clear-water months · 15 Aug – 31 Oct (usually)Late summer into October brings the calmest seas, the warmest water and visibility that can reach thirty metres in the kelp.77climate
  7. 🇲🇾 Tioman, MalaysiaDive season · 1 Mar – 31 Oct (usually)The months the dive shops are open and the crossing from Mersing is routine.75climate
  8. 🇸🇨 Beau Vallon, SeychellesWhale sharks off the bay · 1 Aug – 31 Oct (usually)The monitoring programme runs from August to the end of October and the boats go out from the bay itself, spotter plane overhead.64climate
  9. 🇸🇨 Victoria, SeychellesWhale sharks off Mahé · 15 Aug – 15 Nov (usually)Whale sharks pass the granitic islands as the trades ease, with a spotter plane and a small licensed fleet working out of the west coast.63climate
  10. 🇭🇳 Roatán, HondurasCoral spawning nights · 20 Aug – 25 Sep (usually)The reef spawns on the nights after the late-summer full moons and the shops run boats out at nine or ten.62climate
  11. 🇲🇻 Malé, MaldivesWhale sharks in South Ari · 1 Jan – 31 Dec (usually)The juveniles off Maamigili are the one aggregation in the country that holds all year, which is why the day boats run out of Male in any month.61climate
  12. George Town, Cayman IslandsSilversides in the swim-throughs · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Baitballs of silversides pack the caverns at Devil's Grotto and Eden Rock, right off the George Town waterfront, with tarpon working through them.60climate
  13. 🇲🇽 Holbox, MexicoWhale shark season · 15 May – 17 SepThe season is fixed by permit, mid-May to mid-September, and boats leave before dawn for the feeding aggregation well offshore.59climate
  14. 🇲🇽 Cancún, MexicoWhale sharks off Isla Mujeres · 15 Jun – 15 SepHundreds of whale sharks gather to feed north of Isla Mujeres and the permitted swim season runs from mid-June to mid-September, July being the densest.58climate
  15. 🇲🇽 Isla Mujeres, MexicoWhale shark season · 15 May – 17 SepPermits run mid-May to mid-September for the aggregation twenty-odd miles north of the island.58climate
  16. 🇸🇧 Honiara, Solomon IslandsClearer water on Iron Bottom Sound · 1 Apr – 30 Nov (usually)The drier half of the year settles the run-off and the wrecks off the Guadalcanal shore come back into view — the Bonegi ships are a walk-in from the road.55climate
  17. 🇮🇩 Manado, IndonesiaCalmest months for Bunaken · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)The drier stretch either side of midyear is when the crossing out to Bunaken is flattest and the wall dives are at their clearest.55climate
  18. 🇯🇵 Ishigaki, JapanManta season at Kabira · 1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually)The cleaning stations off Kabira draw mantas through the second half of the year, with the best odds from August to October.50climate

What's on around the world in September →

Dive season in October

  1. 🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora, EcuadorWhale sharks at Darwin and Wolf · 15 Jun – 15 Nov (usually)Large females pass the far northern rocks through the cool season.87climate
  2. 🇲🇿 Tofo, MozambiqueWhale shark season · 1 Oct – 15 Mar (usually)Whale sharks gather off the reef from October to March, most reliably in December and January when plankton blooms bring them close enough for the ocean-safari boats that launch straight off the beach at dawn.80climate
  3. 🇲🇿 Vilankulo, MozambiqueWhale sharks and mantas · 1 Oct – 15 Apr (usually)Whale sharks and manta rays gather around the Bazaruto channel from October through to April, a window that overlaps with the archipelago's hottest and wettest months.80climate
  4. 🇦🇺 Cairns, AustraliaCoral spawning · 25 Oct – 10 Dec (usually)The corals release on a few nights after a full moon in late spring, inshore reefs usually ahead of the outer ones.78climate
  5. 🇺🇸 Channel Islands National Park, United StatesThe clear-water months · 15 Aug – 31 Oct (usually)Late summer into October brings the calmest seas, the warmest water and visibility that can reach thirty metres in the kelp.77climate
  6. 🇲🇼 Nkhata Bay, MalawiBest diving visibility · 1 Aug – 15 Dec (usually)The dry season brings the clearest water of the year, with visibility reaching up to thirty metres over the cichlid reefs.77climate
  7. 🇫🇯 Nadi, FijiManta season in the Yasawas · 1 May – 31 Oct (usually)Reef mantas feed in the channel at Drawaqa through the dry half of the year and are snorkelled from a boat when the tide runs.71climate
  8. 🇮🇩 Nusa Penida, IndonesiaMola season · 1 Jul – 31 Oct (usually)Cold upwelling in the Badung Strait brings oceanic sunfish up to the cleaning stations at Crystal Bay, with August and September the most reliable weeks.71climate
  9. 🇲🇬 Nosy Be, MadagascarWhale sharks · 1 Sep – 15 Dec (usually)Whale sharks feed off the north of the island through the last quarter of the year, thickest in October and November.71climate
  10. 🇲🇾 Tioman, MalaysiaDive season · 1 Mar – 31 Oct (usually)The months the dive shops are open and the crossing from Mersing is routine.70climate
  11. 🇸🇨 Beau Vallon, SeychellesWhale sharks off the bay · 1 Aug – 31 Oct (usually)The monitoring programme runs from August to the end of October and the boats go out from the bay itself, spotter plane overhead.70climate
  12. 🇸🇨 Victoria, SeychellesWhale sharks off Mahé · 15 Aug – 15 Nov (usually)Whale sharks pass the granitic islands as the trades ease, with a spotter plane and a small licensed fleet working out of the west coast.69climate
  13. 🇸🇩 Port Sudan, SudanRed Sea liveaboard season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off this coast — Sanganeb and the Sha'ab Rumi lagoon among them — are the reason anyone comes, and the boats run in the cooler half of the year when the water is clearest.66climate
  14. 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaRed Sea dive season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off Obhur creek and the wrecks south of the port are clearest and calmest from autumn through spring, before the summer water goes bathwater-warm and the visibility drops away.64climate
  15. 🇦🇪 Fujairah, United Arab EmiratesGulf of Oman dive season · 15 Oct – 15 May (usually)Snoopy Island and the Dibba wrecks are at their clearest in the cooler half of the year; summer plankton blooms cut the visibility badly.64climate
  16. 🇮🇷 Kish Island, IranDiving and beach season · 15 Oct – 10 May (usually)The water is clearest and the air bearable in the cool half of the year, which is when the dive operators and the glass-bottom boats actually run properly.61climate
  17. 🇲🇻 Malé, MaldivesWhale sharks in South Ari · 1 Jan – 31 Dec (usually)The juveniles off Maamigili are the one aggregation in the country that holds all year, which is why the day boats run out of Male in any month.59climate
  18. 🇯🇵 Ishigaki, JapanManta season at Kabira · 1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually)The cleaning stations off Kabira draw mantas through the second half of the year, with the best odds from August to October.59climate
  19. 🇲🇽 La Paz, Baja California, MexicoWhale shark season · 1 Oct – 30 AprJuvenile whale sharks feed in the shallow end of the bay from October to April, inside a federal refuge that caps boats and group sizes.59climate
  20. 🇸🇧 Honiara, Solomon IslandsClearer water on Iron Bottom Sound · 1 Apr – 30 Nov (usually)The drier half of the year settles the run-off and the wrecks off the Guadalcanal shore come back into view — the Bonegi ships are a walk-in from the road.54climate
  21. 🇮🇳 Havelock Island, IndiaDive and boat season · 15 Oct – 15 MayThe dive centres on Beach No.54climate
  22. 🇮🇳 Port Blair, IndiaSailing and dive season · 15 Oct – 10 MayThe sea settles, the catamarans to Havelock and Neil run to timetable, and every dive centre in the territory is open.51climate

What's on around the world in October →

Dive season in November

  1. 🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora, EcuadorWhale sharks at Darwin and Wolf · 15 Jun – 15 Nov (usually)Large females pass the far northern rocks through the cool season.86climate
  2. 🇲🇽 La Paz, Baja California, MexicoWhale shark season · 1 Oct – 30 AprJuvenile whale sharks feed in the shallow end of the bay from October to April, inside a federal refuge that caps boats and group sizes.76climate
  3. 🇦🇪 Fujairah, United Arab EmiratesGulf of Oman dive season · 15 Oct – 15 May (usually)Snoopy Island and the Dibba wrecks are at their clearest in the cooler half of the year; summer plankton blooms cut the visibility badly.76climate
  4. 🇮🇷 Kish Island, IranDiving and beach season · 15 Oct – 10 May (usually)The water is clearest and the air bearable in the cool half of the year, which is when the dive operators and the glass-bottom boats actually run properly.76climate
  5. 🇲🇿 Vilankulo, MozambiqueWhale sharks and mantas · 1 Oct – 15 Apr (usually)Whale sharks and manta rays gather around the Bazaruto channel from October through to April, a window that overlaps with the archipelago's hottest and wettest months.75climate
  6. 🇲🇿 Tofo, MozambiqueWhale shark season · 1 Oct – 15 Mar (usually)Whale sharks gather off the reef from October to March, most reliably in December and January when plankton blooms bring them close enough for the ocean-safari boats that launch straight off the beach at dawn.74climate
  7. 🇦🇺 Cairns, AustraliaCoral spawning · 25 Oct – 10 Dec (usually)The corals release on a few nights after a full moon in late spring, inshore reefs usually ahead of the outer ones.71climate
  8. 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaRed Sea dive season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off Obhur creek and the wrecks south of the port are clearest and calmest from autumn through spring, before the summer water goes bathwater-warm and the visibility drops away.71climate
  9. 🇲🇼 Nkhata Bay, MalawiBest diving visibility · 1 Aug – 15 Dec (usually)The dry season brings the clearest water of the year, with visibility reaching up to thirty metres over the cichlid reefs.70climate
  10. 🇸🇩 Port Sudan, SudanRed Sea liveaboard season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off this coast — Sanganeb and the Sha'ab Rumi lagoon among them — are the reason anyone comes, and the boats run in the cooler half of the year when the water is clearest.69climate
  11. 🇩🇯 Djibouti, DjiboutiWhale sharks in the gulf · 1 Nov – 15 Feb (usually)Plankton blooms in the Gulf of Tadjoura pull in a crowd of unusually young whale sharks, most of them only three or four metres long.69climate
  12. 🇯🇵 Ishigaki, JapanManta season at Kabira · 1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually)The cleaning stations off Kabira draw mantas through the second half of the year, with the best odds from August to October.66climate
  13. 🇹🇭 Ko Chang, ThailandWreck and reef diving season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)The months the boats run south to the HTMS Chang wreck and the Rang islands, when visibility is worth the crossing.65climate
  14. 🇮🇳 Havelock Island, IndiaDive and boat season · 15 Oct – 15 MayThe dive centres on Beach No.62climate
  15. 🇲🇬 Nosy Be, MadagascarWhale sharks · 1 Sep – 15 Dec (usually)Whale sharks feed off the north of the island through the last quarter of the year, thickest in October and November.62climate
  16. 🇸🇨 Victoria, SeychellesWhale sharks off Mahé · 15 Aug – 15 Nov (usually)Whale sharks pass the granitic islands as the trades ease, with a spotter plane and a small licensed fleet working out of the west coast.61climate
  17. 🇮🇳 Port Blair, IndiaSailing and dive season · 15 Oct – 10 MayThe sea settles, the catamarans to Havelock and Neil run to timetable, and every dive centre in the territory is open.60climate
  18. 🇮🇩 Raja Ampat, IndonesiaManta season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)Plankton in the straits brings reef mantas onto the cleaning stations around Dampier and Arborek, densest in the first months of the year.56climate
  19. 🇲🇻 Malé, MaldivesWhale sharks in South Ari · 1 Jan – 31 Dec (usually)The juveniles off Maamigili are the one aggregation in the country that holds all year, which is why the day boats run out of Male in any month.53climate
  20. 🇮🇩 Labuan Bajo, IndonesiaManta season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)Plankton in the channel brings reef mantas onto the cleaning stations at Karang Makassar and, further south, Manta Alley.50climate
  21. 🇸🇧 Honiara, Solomon IslandsClearer water on Iron Bottom Sound · 1 Apr – 30 Nov (usually)The drier half of the year settles the run-off and the wrecks off the Guadalcanal shore come back into view — the Bonegi ships are a walk-in from the road.49climate
  22. 🇹🇭 Ko Lanta, ThailandHin Daeng and Hin Muang season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)The deep pinnacles two hours south are the reason people come here to dive, and the boats only run in the settled months.47climate

What's on around the world in November →

Dive season in December

  1. 🇲🇽 La Paz, Baja California, MexicoWhale shark season · 1 Oct – 30 AprJuvenile whale sharks feed in the shallow end of the bay from October to April, inside a federal refuge that caps boats and group sizes.88climate
  2. 🇦🇪 Fujairah, United Arab EmiratesGulf of Oman dive season · 15 Oct – 15 May (usually)Snoopy Island and the Dibba wrecks are at their clearest in the cooler half of the year; summer plankton blooms cut the visibility badly.85climate
  3. 🇮🇷 Kish Island, IranDiving and beach season · 15 Oct – 10 May (usually)The water is clearest and the air bearable in the cool half of the year, which is when the dive operators and the glass-bottom boats actually run properly.85climate
  4. The Bottom, SabaDive season · 1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)The clearest water of the year in the Saba National Marine Park, with visibility past a hundred feet at sites like the Pinnacles, and the fewest afternoon squalls.80climate
  5. 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaRed Sea dive season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off Obhur creek and the wrecks south of the port are clearest and calmest from autumn through spring, before the summer water goes bathwater-warm and the visibility drops away.78climate
  6. 🇹🇭 Ko Chang, ThailandWreck and reef diving season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)The months the boats run south to the HTMS Chang wreck and the Rang islands, when visibility is worth the crossing.77climate
  7. 🇸🇩 Port Sudan, SudanRed Sea liveaboard season · 1 Oct – 31 May (usually)The reefs off this coast — Sanganeb and the Sha'ab Rumi lagoon among them — are the reason anyone comes, and the boats run in the cooler half of the year when the water is clearest.76climate
  8. 🇩🇯 Djibouti, DjiboutiWhale sharks in the gulf · 1 Nov – 15 Feb (usually)Plankton blooms in the Gulf of Tadjoura pull in a crowd of unusually young whale sharks, most of them only three or four metres long.76climate
  9. 🇦🇺 Byron Bay, AustraliaLeopard sharks at Julian Rocks · 1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)Through the warm months leopard sharks gather on the sand at Julian Rocks, twenty minutes offshore, and swap places with the grey nurse sharks that hold there in winter.74climate
  10. 🇰🇪 Mombasa, KenyaWhale sharks off the coast · 1 Dec – 31 Mar (usually)Whale sharks move along the Kenyan coast through the northeast monsoon, and the boats that go looking for them run out of Diani and Watamu rather than Mombasa itself.68climate
  11. 🇲🇿 Tofo, MozambiqueWhale shark season · 1 Oct – 15 Mar (usually)Whale sharks gather off the reef from October to March, most reliably in December and January when plankton blooms bring them close enough for the ocean-safari boats that launch straight off the beach at dawn.68climate
  12. 🇹🇭 Ko Lanta, ThailandHin Daeng and Hin Muang season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)The deep pinnacles two hours south are the reason people come here to dive, and the boats only run in the settled months.66climate
  13. 🇮🇳 Havelock Island, IndiaDive and boat season · 15 Oct – 15 MayThe dive centres on Beach No.66climate
  14. 🇲🇿 Vilankulo, MozambiqueWhale sharks and mantas · 1 Oct – 15 Apr (usually)Whale sharks and manta rays gather around the Bazaruto channel from October through to April, a window that overlaps with the archipelago's hottest and wettest months.66climate
  15. 🇮🇳 Port Blair, IndiaSailing and dive season · 15 Oct – 10 MayThe sea settles, the catamarans to Havelock and Neil run to timetable, and every dive centre in the territory is open.64climate
  16. 🇲🇼 Nkhata Bay, MalawiBest diving visibility · 1 Aug – 15 Dec (usually)The dry season brings the clearest water of the year, with visibility reaching up to thirty metres over the cichlid reefs.59climate
  17. 🇲🇻 Malé, MaldivesWhale sharks in South Ari · 1 Jan – 31 Dec (usually)The juveniles off Maamigili are the one aggregation in the country that holds all year, which is why the day boats run out of Male in any month.58climate
  18. 🇦🇺 Cairns, AustraliaCoral spawning · 25 Oct – 10 Dec (usually)The corals release on a few nights after a full moon in late spring, inshore reefs usually ahead of the outer ones.54climate
  19. 🇲🇬 Nosy Be, MadagascarWhale sharks · 1 Sep – 15 Dec (usually)Whale sharks feed off the north of the island through the last quarter of the year, thickest in October and November.54climate
  20. 🇮🇩 Raja Ampat, IndonesiaManta season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)Plankton in the straits brings reef mantas onto the cleaning stations around Dampier and Arborek, densest in the first months of the year.53climate
  21. 🇫🇲 Chuuk, MicronesiaCalm months on the wrecks · 1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)The north-east trades settle the lagoon from about December to April, which is when the crossings to the far wrecks are comfortable and the water inside the holds is at its clearest.48climate
  22. 🇮🇩 Labuan Bajo, IndonesiaManta season · 1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)Plankton in the channel brings reef mantas onto the cleaning stations at Karang Makassar and, further south, Manta Alley.47climate

What's on around the world in December →