Best time to dive Cenderawasih Bay
Liveaboards come mostly June–October, when weather elsewhere in Indonesia is poor; most pause December–March. July–August bring daily rain showers and wind at sea, but the bay stays divable.
Peak season: June–October
Book a Cenderawasih Bay LiveaboardUpcoming departures on DivebookerOverall diving, month by month
Balanced scoring · forecasts include the 2026/27 El Niño outlook
Confidence: Nov low · Dec low · Jan low · Feb low · Mar low · Apr low · May low · Jun low · Jul low · Aug low · Sep low · 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 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Macro life | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Coral & reef health | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Visibility | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| Water temperature | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Weather & sea state | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| Operations & access | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
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 | 28.8 °C (84 °F) | 15–25 m |
| December 2026 | 28.7 °C (84 °F) | 15–25 m |
| January 2027 | 28.3 °C (83 °F) | 15–25 m |
| February 2027 | 28.4 °C (83 °F) | 15–25 m |
| March 2027 | 29.1 °C (84 °F) | 15–25 m |
| April 2027 | 29.2 °C (85 °F) | 15–25 m |
| May 2027 | 29.3 °C (85 °F) | 15–25 m |
| June 2027 | 28.9 °C (84 °F) | 20–30 m |
| July 2027 | 28.0 °C (82 °F) | 15–25 m |
| August 2027 | 28.1 °C (83 °F) | 15–25 m |
| September 2027 | 28.6 °C (83 °F) | 20–30 m |
| October 2027 | 29.2 °C (85 °F) | 20–30 m |
| November 2027 | 29.7 °C (85 °F) | 15–25 m |
| December 2027 | 29.7 °C (85 °F) | 15–25 m |
Marine life calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| whale shark | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | ● | ● | ● |
Peak = best odds · ● = regularly seen · blank = unlikely. Calendar months, every year.
About the diving
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Current strength
- 2 / 5
- Luxury level
- 4 / 5
- Typical depth
- 3–25 m
- Max depth of interest
- 30 m
- Dive styles
- Liveaboard
- Suggested certification
- Open Water
- Nearest airport
- NBX
- Snorkelling
- Good
- Known for
- whale shark, endemic reef fish, hard coral gardens
Famous sites: Kwatisore bagans · Rumberpon · Tanjung Mangguar
Season notes & sources
- Liveaboards come mostly June–October, when weather elsewhere in Indonesia is poor; most pause December–March. July–August bring daily rain showers and wind at sea, but the bay stays divable.
- Whale sharks gather under the fishermen's lift-net platforms (bagans) near Kwatisore all year, so encounters don't depend on a migration; August–September are often named the most consistent.
Sources
- Cenderawasih Bay liveaboards (Dive The World)
- Chasing whale sharks in Indonesia: when, where, and how to plan it right (Lagaligo Liveaboard)
- The best locations to swim and dive with whale sharks by month (PADI blog)
- Coral mortality induced by the 2015–2016 El Niño in Indonesia (Biogeosciences, 2017)
- Singapore’s corals may come under threat in 2027 if El Niño turns strong (Asia News Network)