Best time to dive Mafia Island

Whale sharks feed in the inner bay roughly October–March, peaking December–February (sightings peaked in December in one study); encounters are snorkel-only, so the pelagic score is capped at 8. Diving is in the Mafia Island Marine Park, notably Chole Bay.

Peak season: November–February

Best upcoming months:7.7December 2026 7.7January 2027 7.7February 2027

Overall diving, month by month

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

Confidence: Nov high · Dec medium · Jan medium · Feb medium · Mar medium · Apr medium · May medium · Jun low · 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	8	8	8	8	8	6	5	5	5	5	6	7	8	8
Macro life	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7
Coral & reef health	7	6	7	7	4	4	4	4	5	5	5	5	5	5
Visibility	8	7	7	7	7	6	6	7	7	7	8	8	8	7
Water temperature	10	10	10	10	9	10	10	9	8	8	8	9	10	10
Weather & sea state	8	7	7	7	6	5	6	8	8	8	8	8	8	7
Operations & access	9	9	9	9	9	6	6	8	9	9	9	9	9	9

Climate outlook

How this year's forecast differs from a typical year

Water temperature +0.7 °C · Indian Ocean warms in the months after an El Niño peak (Nov 2026 – July 2027)
Coral & reef health -2.6 · Post–El Niño marine heatwave; high bleaching risk (as in 1998, 2016 and 2024) (Mar 2027 – June 2027)
Coral & reef health -1.3 · Reefs still recovering from post–El Niño bleaching (Jul 2027 – December 2027)

Water temperature & visibility

Month	Water	Visibility
November 2026	28.4 °C (83 °F)	20–30 m
December 2026	28.9 °C (84 °F)	15–25 m
January 2027	29.5 °C (85 °F)	15–25 m
February 2027	30.1 °C (86 °F)	15–25 m
March 2027	30.1 °C (86 °F)	15–25 m
April 2027	29.7 °C (85 °F)	10–20 m
May 2027	28.6 °C (83 °F)	10–20 m
June 2027	27.0 °C (81 °F)	15–25 m
July 2027	25.9 °C (79 °F)	15–25 m
August 2027	25.8 °C (78 °F)	15–25 m
September 2027	26.2 °C (79 °F)	20–30 m
October 2027	27.1 °C (81 °F)	20–30 m
November 2027	28.0 °C (82 °F)	20–30 m
December 2027	28.5 °C (83 °F)	15–25 m

Marine life calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
whale shark (snorkel)	Peak	Peak	●							●	Peak	Peak
turtles	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
giant groupers	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●

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

About the diving

Difficulty: Beginner
Current strength: 2 / 5
Luxury level: 5 / 5
Typical depth: 5–25 m
Max depth of interest: 30 m
Dive styles: Day boat, Resort
Suggested certification: Open Water (whale-shark swims are snorkel only)
Nearest airport: MFA
Snorkelling: Good
Known for: whale shark, turtles, giant groupers

Famous sites: Kinasi Pass · Chole Wall · Milimani · Whale shark grounds

Season notes & sources

Whale sharks feed in the inner bay roughly October–March, peaking December–February (sightings peaked in December in one study); encounters are snorkel-only, so the pelagic score is capped at 8. Diving is in the Mafia Island Marine Park, notably Chole Bay.