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May brings a shift in diving conditions across many of the world’s top underwater destinations. As seasons change, new regions open up with calm seas, excellent visibility, and rich marine life encounters. May offers diverse options across both hemispheres
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea is a rather unexplored destination by divers. It’s slightly challenging to travel to this country, but diving in Papua New Guinea is well worth the effort. Everything from drift diving to wreck diving is available there. Coral and fish life is like Indonesia—after all, this is within the Coral Triangle—but it’s much less crowded. Papua New Guinea also played a vital theater of war in World War II, in which the country left behind a stunning array of wrecks, much of which has yet to be discovered
What to see:
WWII wreck, grey, black and white sharks, rhinopias scorpion fish, cuttlefish, eels, pygmy seahorses, star gazers
Liveaboards that operate in PNG:
Komodo, Indonesia
The dry season, which starts in April, offers the ideal diving conditions at Komodo. The peaceful oceans, great visibility, and unique opportunity to spot manta rays make this month the best of the year. The temperatures lie between 25°C and 28°C, and the visibility is up to 30 meters. Majestic manta rays, reef sharks, and a variety of vibrant fish, including lionfish and frogfish, are frequently spotted. The coral reefs are alive with color – sea fans and fascinating macro life such as pygmy seahorses and mantis shrimps thrive here. Komodo dive sites offer unique and breathtaking views, with diver favorites like Batu Bolong and Manta Point, where the underwater scenery is simply spectacular
What to see:
Groups of rays, bumphead parrotfish, macro critters including stargazers, bobtail squid, pygmy seahorses, and ladybugs
Featured liveaboards that operate in Komodo:
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
May is not peak season for Galápagos, but the water is significantly smoother during this time. And since it’s not peak, but close to the actual high season, the prices might be lower and the dive sites less people. Whale sharks begin appearing around the Wolf and Darwin Islands. From hammerheads and fur seals to marine iguanas and spotted eagle rays, Galápagos diving in May is a bucket-list-checking affair
What to see:
Whale sharks, hammerheads, sea lions, and all are expected to be seen during the high season
Featured liveaboards that operate in Galapagoses:
Maldives
May marks the end of the high season for the Maldives, but that doesn’t mean you should rule out this destination for your travels – on the contrary. The Maldives is less crowded, the rates drop, and the altered conditions bring new underwater features. The wind shifts in this time of year with the arrival of the southwest monsoon, bringing a high concentration of plankton. Though this reduces visibility, it also draws pelagics such as whale sharks and manta rays. Hammerheads and grey reef sharks also appear in larger concentrations. Maldives liveaboard dive in May has a different, also thrilling, experience during off-peak
What to see:
Hammerheads, manta rays, whale sharks
Featured liveaboards that operate in Maldives:
Hard to choose from the variety, but these offer the best price in the destination
