Papua New Guinea · Indo-Pacific

Best time to dive Milne Bay

Diveable year-round; October–January usually brings the calmest seas and best visibility, while June–August trade winds make it rougher. Milne Bay is the birthplace of muck diving. Mantas visit the Gona Bara Bara cleaning station near Samarai year-round, peaking around September.

Peak season: September–June

Best upcoming months:6.9November 20266.8December 20266.8November 2027
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Overall diving, month by month

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

0510Nov 2026: 6.9 (Good)6.9Nov2026Dec 2026: 6.8 (Good)6.8DecJan 2027: 6.7 (Good)6.7Jan2027Feb 2027: 6.6 (Good)6.6FebMar 2027: 6.6 (Good)6.6MarApr 2027: 6.7 (Good)6.7AprMay 2027: 6.6 (Good)6.6MayJun 2027: 6.4 (Good)6.4JunJul 2027: 6.3 (Good)6.3JulAug 2027: 6.2 (Good)6.2AugSep 2027: 6.5 (Good)6.5SepOct 2027: 6.7 (Good)6.7OctNov 2027: 6.8 (Good)6.8NovDec 2027: 6.8 (Good)6.8Dec

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

Nov2026DecJan2027FebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Pelagic & big animals66666666666666
Macro life99999999999999
Coral & reef health77777777777777
Visibility87777776667887
Water temperature9101010101010988991010
Weather & sea state99988886667888
Operations & access99988998778999

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

MonthWaterVisibility
November 202627.8 °C (82 °F)20–30 m
December 202628.2 °C (83 °F)15–25 m
January 202728.3 °C (83 °F)15–25 m
February 202728.4 °C (83 °F)15–25 m
March 202728.6 °C (83 °F)15–25 m
April 202728.2 °C (83 °F)15–25 m
May 202727.8 °C (82 °F)15–25 m
June 202726.9 °C (80 °F)15–20 m
July 202726.5 °C (80 °F)15–20 m
August 202726.1 °C (79 °F)15–20 m
September 202726.6 °C (80 °F)15–25 m
October 202727.7 °C (82 °F)20–30 m
November 202728.7 °C (84 °F)20–30 m
December 202729.2 °C (85 °F)15–25 m

Marine life calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
frogfish●●●●●●●●●●●●
nudibranchs●●●●●●●●●●●●
pygmy seahorse●●●●●●●●●●●●
manta ray●●●●●●●●Peak●●●

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

About the diving

Difficulty
Intermediate
Current strength
2 / 5
Luxury level
2 / 5
Typical depth
3–30 m
Max depth of interest
40 m
Dive styles
Liveaboard, Resort
Suggested certification
Open Water
Nearest airport
GUR
Snorkelling
Good
Known for
frogfish, pygmy seahorse, nudibranchs, manta ray

Famous sites: Dinah's Beach · Deacon's Reef · Wahoo Point · Banana Bommie

Season notes & sources

  • Diveable year-round; October–January usually brings the calmest seas and best visibility, while June–August trade winds make it rougher. Milne Bay is the birthplace of muck diving. Mantas visit the Gona Bara Bara cleaning station near Samarai year-round, peaking around September.

Sources