Best time to dive Northern Red Sea

Shoulder seasons (March–May and September–November) balance comfortable water with steadier conditions. Winter northerlies can block offshore sites like Ras Mohammed and Tiran.

Peak season: May–October

Best upcoming months:7.0June 2027 7.0July 2027 7.0August 2027

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Overall diving, month by month

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

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

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	5	5	4	4	4	5	5	6	7	7	6	6	5	5
Macro life	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6
Coral & reef health	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	6	6	6	6	7	7
Visibility	8	8	8	8	8	9	9	9	8	8	9	9	8	8
Water temperature	7	5	5	4	4	5	7	8	9	10	10	9	7	5
Weather & sea state	8	6	5	5	6	7	8	8	7	7	8	8	8	6
Operations & access	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10
Wreck diving	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9

Climate outlook

How this year's forecast differs from a typical year

Coral & reef health -0.8 · Hotter summer after a strong El Niño raises bleaching risk (Jul 2027 – October 2027)

Water temperature & visibility

Month	Water	Visibility
November 2026	25.0 °C (77 °F)	25–30 m
December 2026	23.0 °C (73 °F)	20–30 m
January 2027	22.0 °C (72 °F)	20–30 m
February 2027	21.5 °C (71 °F)	20–30 m
March 2027	21.5 °C (71 °F)	20–30 m
April 2027	22.5 °C (73 °F)	25–35 m
May 2027	24.5 °C (76 °F)	25–35 m
June 2027	26.5 °C (80 °F)	25–35 m
July 2027	27.5 °C (82 °F)	20–30 m
August 2027	28.5 °C (83 °F)	20–30 m
September 2027	28.0 °C (82 °F)	25–35 m
October 2027	27.0 °C (81 °F)	25–35 m
November 2027	25.0 °C (77 °F)	25–30 m
December 2027	23.0 °C (73 °F)	20–30 m

Marine life calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
dolphins	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
barracuda schools					●	Peak	Peak	Peak	●
napoleon wrasse	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
garden eels	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
moray eels	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
nudibranchs	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
stingrays	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●

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: 5–30 m
Max depth of interest: 32 m
Dive styles: Liveaboard, Day boat, Shore, Resort
Suggested certification: Open Water
Nearest airport: SSH
Snorkelling: Good
Known for: dolphins, napoleon wrasse, barracuda schools, wrecks

Famous sites: Ras Mohammed · SS Thistlegorm · Abu Nuhas · Jackson Reef

Season notes & sources

Shoulder seasons (March–May and September–November) balance comfortable water with steadier conditions. Winter northerlies can block offshore sites like Ras Mohammed and Tiran.
About 21–22 °C in February–March, peaking near 28–29 °C in August.
World-class wreck diving, including the SS Thistlegorm and the Abu Nuhas wrecks.
White Knight has a garden-eel colony at about 10 m and nudibranchs on reef pinnacles; Middle Garden has morays and several stingrays on sand. These are resident site sightings, without a demonstrated monthly peak.