Best time to dive Seychelles (Inner Islands)

Best visibility in the transition months (April–May and October–November). The southeast monsoon (June–August) brings plankton, chop and 8–12 m visibility; whale sharks follow the plankton, peaking September–November with sightings from August into December.

Peak season: October–November

Best upcoming months:7.9November 2026 7.7October 2027 7.7November 2027

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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	9	7	6	6	6	6	6	7	7	7	8	9	9	7
Macro life	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5
Coral & reef health	5	5	5	5	3	2	2	2	4	4	4	4	4	4
Visibility	8	6	6	6	7	8	8	5	4	4	6	8	8	6
Water temperature	10	10	10	10	9	9	10	10	9	9	9	10	10	10
Weather & sea state	8	7	7	7	8	9	9	7	6	6	7	9	8	7
Operations & access	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10

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	28.9 °C (84 °F)	25–30 m
December 2026	28.9 °C (84 °F)	15–20 m
January 2027	29.0 °C (84 °F)	15–20 m
February 2027	29.6 °C (85 °F)	15–20 m
March 2027	30.1 °C (86 °F)	20–25 m
April 2027	30.7 °C (87 °F)	25–30 m
May 2027	29.6 °C (85 °F)	25–30 m
June 2027	28.0 °C (82 °F)	10–15 m
July 2027	26.9 °C (80 °F)	8–12 m
August 2027	26.8 °C (80 °F)	8–12 m
September 2027	27.2 °C (81 °F)	15–20 m
October 2027	28.1 °C (83 °F)	25–30 m
November 2027	28.5 °C (83 °F)	25–30 m
December 2027	28.5 °C (83 °F)	15–20 m

Marine life calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
whale shark								●	Peak	Peak	Peak	●
hawksbill turtle	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
eagle ray	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
reef sharks	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●

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: 30 m
Dive styles: Day boat, Resort, Liveaboard
Suggested certification: Open Water
Nearest airport: SEZ
Snorkelling: Good
Known for: whale shark, hawksbill turtle, eagle ray, reef sharks

Famous sites: Shark Bank · Brissare Rocks · Ennerdale wreck · Ave Maria

Season notes & sources

Best visibility in the transition months (April–May and October–November). The southeast monsoon (June–August) brings plankton, chop and 8–12 m visibility; whale sharks follow the plankton, peaking September–November with sightings from August into December.