Komodo Diving Season, Exploring Best Dive Sites

All year long, scuba diving is possible at Komodo National Park. From May to September, the central region, where most dive companies and liveaboards operate, has the best water conditions. But let’s look at it a little more closely. There’s more to Komodo diving season than meets the eye, as it turns out. Most information sources will refer to the diving season in Komodo National Park’s north and center sections as if it applies to the entire park.

komodo diving season - meet manta ray

Komodo diving season – best Water Conditions :

May to September in the North and Central Regions. (The rainy season runs from November to April.) Rough waves in the Northern Region may make diving impossible between January and February).

November to April in the Southern Region. (From July to August, the seas are murky and choppy.)

Seasonal Activity of Marine Life

While much of the distinctive marine species found on Komodo are year-round residents, such as reef sharks, turtles, fish, crabs, and mollusks, other organisms are more easily seen at specific periods of the year.

Manta Ray Season: Some Manta Rays live in Komodo year-round and are part of the resident population. Every month, these can be found. Plankton blooms bring many non-resident Manta Rays from all over the world to feed from December to February.

Whale Shark Season: Plankton blooms in December and February attract whale sharks, making this the greatest time to see them.

Mola Mola: Although the elusive Mola Mola can be seen in any month. August is widely regarded as the most likely period to see these enormous and enigmatic fish.

Where should you go?

Dive schools and scuba diving liveaboards keep an eye on the weather and alter the dive sites they visit accordingly. Ensuring that you dive at the ideal areas for the season, weather, and lunar cycles of the time you visit. Komodo offers fantastic scuba diving all year if you go to the correct area at the right time

If you go with a diving school rather than a liveaboard, you’ll be diving the central region, and the ideal time to go is generally between May and September for the best water conditions. True, there are more Manta Rays between December and February, but you’re almost certain to spot many members of the resident population outside of that time! Of course, if you’re on a mission to view as many manta rays as possible, travel from December to February.

If you go diving on a liveaboard, you have significantly more choice in terms of when you travel because they can visit both the north and south sections of Komodo National Park, and many also extend their itineraries to other adjacent Indonesian islands outside of the park. They’ll take you to the top diving sites in the area, regardless of which month you travel, and typically include additional dive sites that aren’t strictly within Komodo National Park.