Best Scuba diving season in the Maldives

Best Scuba diving season in the Maldives

“What is the best scuba diving season in the Maldives?” is one of the most common questions we receive at ScubaDiveMaldives.com.  It’s a logical question, especially since most of us, at least the unlucky ones, dont have the luxury of taking a holiday whenever we feel like it.  Rather, we have to book our annual holidays around the kids’ school holidays or around whenever we can get the time off work.  The good news is that in the Maldives, you can dive here all year round, but there are significant differences between the seasons.

Snorkeler above coral reef in the Maldives

Scuba Diving in the North East Monsoon Season

The scuba diving season from December to April, is what’s known as the North East Monsoon Season which is generally a dry season with currents running from North East to South West.  During this season, there are very few rainy days and the sun is almost always shining.  This makes the Maldives the perfect winter escape or a Christmas-time break.  Imagine the envy of your colleagues as they are trudging to work in the snow as you sun yourself and scuba dive in the Maldives!

Scuba Diving Visibility in the North East Monsoon Season

During the North East Monsoon Season in the Maldives the visibility is excellent on the eastern side of the atolls and the water is warm, around 28 degrees. 

Spotting Whale Sharks in the Northeast Monsoon Scuba Diving Season

Over on the western side of the atolls, there is less visibility during the North East Monsoon Season, but this is the place to dive if you are looking for Mantas and Whale Sharks, the two most popular marine animals in the Maldives.  Most scuba divers here are satisfied with their holiday as soon as they see a Manta or Whale Shark.

Whale Shark in the Maldives

Scuba Diving in the South West Monsoon Season

The scuba diving season from May to December, the wetter of the two seasons, is known as the South West Monsoon season is present in the Maldives.  During the The South West Monsoon, most divers choose to do most of their scuba diving around the western side of the Maldives.  Currents at this time of year are reversed, flowing from southwest to northeast. 

Amazing “Whale Shark or Manta Guaranteed” Offer!

Liveaboard operator Maldives Dive Travel has an incredible offer running at the moment for all customers who purchase a liveaboard scuba holiday with them in the months of August and September aboard the Black Pearl. They actually guarantee that you will see either a whale shark or a manta ray during your liveaboard trip. If you do not see a Whale Shark or Manta Ray during the trip, they will refund US$300 to each guest.

Black Pearl Liveaboard in the Maldives

Spotting Marine Life in the Northeast Monsoon Scuba Diving Season

Despite extra rain, the visibility is still good throughout the South West Monsoon season but the water is slightly cooler, bringing more pelagic and shark species closer to the surface of the water.  At Between May and December, Mantas and Whale Sharks tend to move to the Western part of the Maldives.

Scuba Diving Visibility in the South West Monsoon Season

During the scuba diving season from May to December, dive sites in the west experience wonderful clear visibility and slightly cooler water temperatures, attracting many of the shark species closer to the surface. During the South West season Manta Rays and Whale Sharks will typically only be found of the Eastern edge of the atolls. Sea conditions can be rougher and there is a slight increase in rainfall over the South West season. The diving remains superb.

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