Best time to dive Alor

Best from about March/April to November; December–March brings rougher seas, lower visibility and some resort closures. Pilot whales, melon-headed whales and dolphins are often seen from the boat between dives, with no clear season. Strongest currents in October–November; thermoclines in the deeper channels.

Peak season: April–October

Best upcoming months:8.1September 2027 7.8October 2027 7.7May 2027

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Overall diving, month by month

Balanced scoring · forecasts include the 2026/27 El Niño outlook

Confidence: Nov medium · Dec medium · Jan medium · Feb medium · Mar medium · Apr medium · May medium · Jun medium · Jul medium · Aug medium · Sep medium · Oct low · Nov low · Dec low

What's good when

Each attribute scored 0–10 for every month

	Nov2026	Dec	Jan2027	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Pelagic & big animals	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	8	8	8	8	7	7
Macro life	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9
Coral & reef health	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7
Visibility	8	7	6	6	7	8	9	9	8	8	9	9	8	7
Water temperature	9	9	9	10	10	9	9	8	7	7	7	9	10	10
Weather & sea state	8	7	6	5	7	8	9	9	8	8	9	8	7	6
Operations & access	8	5	4	4	6	9	10	10	10	10	10	9	8	5

Climate outlook

How this year's forecast differs from a typical year

Weather & sea state +1 · El Niño makes the wet season drier (Nov 2026 – April 2027)
Water temperature -0.8 °C · Indonesian seas run cooler during El Niño (Nov 2026 – April 2027)
Coral & reef health -1 · El Niño sea-level drop and heat stress damage shallow reefs (Nov 2026 – December 2027)

Water temperature & visibility

Month	Water	Visibility
November 2026	27.3 °C (81 °F)	20–30 m
December 2026	27.7 °C (82 °F)	15–25 m
January 2027	27.8 °C (82 °F)	10–20 m
February 2027	27.9 °C (82 °F)	10–20 m
March 2027	28.1 °C (83 °F)	15–25 m
April 2027	27.7 °C (82 °F)	20–30 m
May 2027	26.8 °C (80 °F)	25–35 m
June 2027	25.9 °C (79 °F)	25–35 m
July 2027	25.0 °C (77 °F)	20–30 m
August 2027	24.6 °C (76 °F)	20–30 m
September 2027	25.1 °C (77 °F)	25–35 m
October 2027	26.7 °C (80 °F)	25–35 m
November 2027	28.2 °C (83 °F)	20–30 m
December 2027	28.7 °C (84 °F)	15–25 m

Marine life calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
mola mola							●	●	Peak	●
dolphins	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
frogfish	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
pilot whales	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
rhinopias	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
garden eels	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
moray eels	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
nudibranchs	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
pygmy seahorse	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
mandarinfish	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
sea snakes	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●

Peak = best odds · ● = regularly seen · blank = unlikely. Calendar months, every year.

About the diving

Difficulty: Advanced
Current strength: 4 / 5
Luxury level: 5 / 5
Typical depth: 5–30 m
Max depth of interest: 40 m
Dive styles: Liveaboard, Resort
Suggested certification: Advanced Open Water
Nearest airport: ARD
Snorkelling: Good
Known for: rhinopias, frogfish, dolphins, pilot whales, mola mola

Famous sites: Kal's Dream · Clown Valley · Mucky Mosque · The Great Wall of Pantar

Season notes & sources

Best from about March/April to November; December–March brings rougher seas, lower visibility and some resort closures. Pilot whales, melon-headed whales and dolphins are often seen from the boat between dives, with no clear season. Strongest currents in October–November; thermoclines in the deeper channels.
Liveaboards double as cetacean trips; September is cited as the best month for mola mola.
Alor Divers lists resident eels, pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs and sea snakes. A local dive log documents garden eels at School’s Out and morays at several sites. A dive operator describes a substantial Alor house-reef mandarinfish population. Treat these as resident groups, not established monthly peaks; see the season note for monsoon access.