Where to dive, month by month

Great diving is all about timing — water temperature, visibility, and whether the big animals are around. Here's roughly when the headline destinations are at their best.

Red Sea (Egypt)

Diveable year-round. Water is warmest June–September (great for long dives), while March–May and September–November offer the best balance of comfort and marine life. Winter is cooler but still excellent — and quieter.

Maldives

A year-round destination split by monsoon. Manta and whale shark action peaks around the southwest monsoon (roughly May–November) on the western atolls, flipping to the eastern atolls in the drier December–April season — which also brings the calmest seas and best visibility.

Raja Ampat (Indonesia)

The standout window is October to April, when seas are calm and the famous biodiversity is in full effect. Many liveaboards pause in the rougher mid-year months.

Galápagos

Two seasons: warm and calm (December–May) with better visibility, and cool and plankton-rich (June–November) when whale sharks patrol the northern islands. It's advanced diving with currents — but the payoff is hammerheads, mola mola and more.

The honest takeaway

Pick the animal or experience you most want, then work back to the month — not the other way round. Visibility and big-animal sightings are never guaranteed, but going in the right season stacks the odds heavily in your favour.