| "What is the best scuba diving season in the | | | | animals in the Maldives. Most scuba divers here are |
| Maldives?" is one of the most common questions | | | | satisfied with their holiday as soon as they see a |
| asked by people interested in scuba diving in the | | | | Manta or Whale Shark. |
| Maldives. It's a logical question, especially since most | | | | Scuba Diving in the South West Monsoon Season |
| of us, at least the unlucky ones, don't have the | | | | The scuba diving season from May to December, the |
| luxury of taking a holiday whenever we feel like it. | | | | wetter of the two seasons, is known as the South |
| Rather, we have to book our annual holidays around | | | | West Monsoon season is present in the Maldives. |
| the kids' school holidays or around whenever we can | | | | During the The South West Monsoon, most divers |
| get the time off work. The good news is that in the | | | | choose to do most of their scuba diving around the |
| Maldives, you can dive here all year round, but there | | | | western side of the Maldives. Currents at this time of |
| are significant differences between the seasons. | | | | year are reversed, flowing from southwest to |
| Diving in the North East Monsoon Season | | | | northeast. |
| The season from December to April, is what's known | | | | Spotting Marine Life in the Northeast Monsoon Scuba |
| as the North East Monsoon Season which is generally | | | | Diving Season |
| a dry season with currents running from North East | | | | Despite extra rain, the visibility is still good throughout |
| to South West. During this season, there are very | | | | the South West Monsoon season but the water is |
| few rainy days and the sun is almost always shining. | | | | slightly cooler, bringing more pelagic and shark species |
| This makes the Maldives the perfect winter escape | | | | closer to the surface of the water. At Between May |
| or a Christmas-time break. Imagine the envy of your | | | | and December, Mantas and Whale Sharks tend to |
| colleagues as they are trudging to work in the snow | | | | move to the Western part of the Maldives. |
| as you sun yourself and scuba dive in the Maldives! | | | | Scuba Diving Visibility in the South West Monsoon |
| Visibility in the North East Monsoon Season | | | | Season |
| During the North East Monsoon Season in the | | | | During the scuba diving season from May to |
| Maldives the visibility is excellent on the eastern side | | | | December, dive sites in the west experience |
| of the atolls and the water is warm, around 28 | | | | wonderful clear visibility and slightly cooler water |
| degrees. | | | | temperatures, attracting many of the shark species |
| Spotting Whale Sharks in the Northeast Monsoon | | | | closer to the surface. During the South West season |
| Season | | | | Manta Rays and Whale Sharks will typically only be |
| Over on the western side of the atolls, there is less | | | | found of the Eastern edge of the atolls. Sea |
| visibility during the North East Monsoon Season, but | | | | conditions can be rougher and there is a slight |
| this is the place to dive if you are looking for Mantas | | | | increase in rainfall over the South West season. The |
| and Whale Sharks, the two most popular marine | | | | diving remains superb. |