See full version: Best Places to Dive in May
Another great option for May is Galapagos scuba diving, as the sea is calmer this month than during the peak season of July to December and the water is still warm at 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. It is a good month for those prone to sea sickness to visit and marine life sightings are still abundant. May offers a high chance of spotting manta rays and schools of hammerheads.
Sponsored Post - The seasons are beginning to change around the world in May and bring favourable dive conditions for some of the best destinations in the world.
It is a great month for Great Barrier Reef scuba diving in Australia and enjoying excellent water visibility brought on by the seasonal change. May is the last month of Autumn at the reef and offers warm water and less rain as the wet season eases up. The average water temperature is around 23 degrees Celsius and the winter brings cloudless sunny days and flat seas. The reef is home to more than 1500 species of fish and the outer reef dive sites are particularly spectacular. The M/V Spoilsport is even offering special nautilus diving liveaboards to encounter and photograph the ancient nautilus during May. more
May also heralds the start of the southwest season in the Maldives, which is one of the best times to spot manta rays. Maldives liveaboards tend to visit the western sides of the atolls at this time of year and large numbers of hammerheads and grey reef sharks can be seen at dive sites. Large schools of pelagic fish are also present. Divers visiting the eastern sides of the atolls also have the chance to spot whale sharks and mantas. Whilst the water visibility at this time of year is lower, encounters with large marine life are common, making it a great time of year to visit. more
It also happens to be the best time of year for visiting the Komodo Islands in Indonesia. Find out more about these destinations in Best Places to Dive in May.
May strikes a nice balance between weather and marine life in Fiji. The rainy season is just ending but with any luck you’ll still be able to see manta rays and whale sharks. Water is calm during this time and measures a balmy 82 to 86° F (28 to 30° C). more
The South Pacific enjoys warm waters and a reprieve from the rain in May. Farther up north, Socorro is calm and sunny, while Malpelo enjoys similarly good conditions and warm waters. It’s the hot season over in the Caribbean, and Sipadan is also warm and dry. Diving conditions in the Indian Ocean are at their best.
Monsoon season in the Solomon Islands ends in April. This means May is the first month of good diving conditions in the Solomon Islands, with warm weather and little rain. Water temperatures stay fairly constant all year round and May has warm water averaging between 84 and 86° F (29 and 30° C).
LENGTH OF THE TRIP: 8 to 11 days more
Looking further afield, there are some great diving destinations that are just coming into season such as Papua New Guinea, which enjoys a prime position in the Coral Triangle as well as world-class muck diving sites. more
Charlotte and Jacqui are here to help give you the inside track.
In May more palatable weather conditions are starting to creep into southern Europe, so it's really the first month you might consider diving somewhere like Gozo or Oman, though the water will be chilly!
May is also a great time to dive the Great Barrier Reef (which is better for diving during the Aussie winter) when the sea is calm and warm and dwarfe minke whales start to arrive. Also in Australia, but on the Ningaloo Reef, whale sharks are appearing again - reason enough to travel to the other side of the world we think. Fiji is also marvellous in May, boasting technicolour soft coral reefs and thrilling bull shark diving, as well as Komodo National Park in Indonesia, which is virtually inaccessible the rest of the year. more
Another great option for May is diving the Galapagos, as the sea is calmer this month than during the peak season of July to December and the water is still warm at 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. It is a good month for those prone to sea sickness to visit and marine life sightings are still abundant. May offers a high chance of spotting manta rays and schools of hammerheads. [links]
May also heralds the start of the southwest season in the Maldives, which is one of the best times to spot manta rays. Liveaboards tend to visit the western sides of the atolls at this time of year and large numbers of hammerheads and grey reef sharks can be seen at dive sites. Large schools of pelagic fish are also present. Divers visiting the eastern sides of the atolls also have the chance to spot whale sharks and mantas. Whilst the water visibility at this time of year is lower, encounters with large marine life are common, making it a great time of year to visit. [links]
It is a great month for visiting the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and enjoying excellent water visibility brought on by the seasonal change. May is the last month of Autumn at the reef and offers warm water and less rain as the wet season eases up. The average water temperature is around 23 degrees Celsius and the winter brings cloudless sunny days and flat seas. The reef is home to more than 1500 species of fish and the outer reef dive sites are particularly spectacular. The M/V Spoilsportliveaboard is even offering special photography safaris to encounter and photograph the ancient nautilus during May. here
The seasons are beginning to change around the world in May and bring favourable dive conditions for some of the best destinations in the world.
It also happens to be the best time of year for visiting the Komodo Islands in Indonesia. Find out more about these destinations in Best Places to Dive in May. here