Where to Dive in January
The best scuba diving destinations with excellent conditions this month
Excellent Diving
Atauro Island
East TimorHighlights: Excellent visibility, warm waters, potential for pelagics.
Highlights: Excellent visibility, ideal for coral reefs and diverse marine life.
Lakshadweep Islands
IndiaHighlights: Excellent visibility, calm seas, good chance of seeing turtles and reef sharks.
Sipadan Island
MalaysiaHighlights: Excellent visibility, potential for whale shark sightings.
North Male Atoll
MaldivesHighlights: Dry season, excellent visibility, manta rays and whale sharks possible
South Male Atoll
MaldivesHighlights: Dry season, excellent visibility, manta rays and whale sharks possible
Raa Atoll
MaldivesHighlights: Excellent visibility, manta rays and whale sharks often seen
Western Rocky
MyanmarHighlights: Exceptional visibility, abundant marine life, manta rays
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
PhilippinesHighlights: Excellent visibility, abundant marine life
Apo Reef
PhilippinesHighlights: Excellent visibility, schooling fish, sharks, and turtles.
Pigeon Island National Park
Sri LankaHighlights: Excellent visibility, whale shark sightings possible
Similan Islands
ThailandHighlights: Excellent visibility, calm seas, whale shark sightings possible.
Surin Islands
ThailandHighlights: Excellent visibility, calm seas, good for whale shark sightings.
Phuket
ThailandHighlights: Clear waters, excellent visibility, good chance of seeing turtles and reef sharks.
Hin Daeng and Hin Muang
ThailandHighlights: World-class diving with strong chances of manta rays and whale sharks. Excellent visibility.
Koh Chang
ThailandHighlights: Excellent visibility, calm seas, good for whale shark sightings.
Koh Lipe
ThailandHighlights: Crystal clear waters, excellent for coral reefs and macro photography.
Koh Kood
ThailandHighlights: Clear waters, excellent visibility for coral reefs and marine life.
Koh Racha
ThailandHighlights: Dry season, exceptional visibility for exploring vibrant coral reefs and abundant marine life.
Koh Tarutao
ThailandHighlights: Dry season, excellent visibility, calm seas. Ideal for exploring reefs.
Koh Rong Archipelago
CambodiaHighlights: Clear waters, good for spotting a variety of reef fish and corals.
Highlights: Clear waters, good for exploring pristine coral reefs. Abundant reef fish.
Dili
East TimorHighlights: Good visibility, warm water, potential for pelagics.
Netrani Island
IndiaHighlights: Post-monsoon clarity, good for spotting larger marine life around the island.
Raja Ampat
IndonesiaHighlights: Good visibility, potential for manta rays and schooling fish.
Banda Islands
IndonesiaHighlights: Good visibility, potential for pelagics
Okinawa
JapanHighlights: Winter, cooler water, good visibility, chance of humpback whales
Mataking Island
MalaysiaHighlights: Good visibility, potential for whale shark sightings
Pom Pom Island
MalaysiaHighlights: Good chance of seeing turtles, schooling fish
Vaavu Atoll
MaldivesHighlights: Clear waters, good for channel dives with sharks
Thaa Atoll
MaldivesHighlights: Good visibility, potential for manta rays and sharks
Mergui Archipelago
MyanmarHighlights: Dry season, good visibility, whale shark sightings possible
Myeik (Mergui) Archipelago
MyanmarHighlights: Clear waters, good for whale shark sightings
Anilao
PhilippinesHighlights: Good macro photography opportunities, clear waters.
Malapascua Island
PhilippinesHighlights: Good chances for thresher shark sightings at Monad Shoal.
Moalboal
PhilippinesHighlights: Sardine run in full swing, incredible bait ball action
Puerto Galera
PhilippinesHighlights: Good visibility, potential for whale shark sightings offshore.
Verde Island Passage
PhilippinesHighlights: Excellent visibility, strong currents can bring pelagics. Known for its biodiversity.
Panglao Island
PhilippinesHighlights: Good visibility, chance of whale sharks offshore.
Highlights: Good visibility, calm seas, potential for whale sharks.
Hikkaduwa
Sri LankaHighlights: Good visibility, chance of seeing turtles and reef fish.
Trincomalee
Sri LankaHighlights: Excellent visibility, ideal for exploring Pigeon Island National Park.
Unawatuna
Sri LankaHighlights: Good visibility, potential for whale shark sightings offshore
Koh Tao
ThailandHighlights: Good visibility, calm seas, ideal for learning to dive.
Koh Lanta
ThailandHighlights: Clear waters, good visibility. Ideal for exploring reefs and spotting a variety of marine life.
Krabi
ThailandHighlights: Excellent visibility, ideal for exploring reefs and islands.
Koh Phi Phi
ThailandHighlights: Excellent visibility, ideal for exploring iconic dive sites like Hin Muang and Hin Daeng.
Koh Phangan
ThailandHighlights: Clear waters, good for exploring dive sites around the island.
Koh Samet
ThailandHighlights: Dry season, good visibility for exploring coral gardens.
Prachuap Khiri Khan
ThailandHighlights: Clear waters, good for spotting macro life.
Koh Phayam
ThailandHighlights: Dry season, good visibility. Popular for spotting nudibranchs.
Nha Trang
VietnamHighlights: Good visibility, calm seas, potential for whale sharks offshore.
Phu Quoc
VietnamHighlights: Dry season, good visibility, calm seas, ideal for beginners.
Con Dao
VietnamHighlights: Dry season, excellent visibility, abundant coral and reef fish.
Whale Island
VietnamHighlights: Clear waters, good for spotting reef fish and corals
Nui Chua National Park
VietnamHighlights: Good visibility, potential for whale shark sightings.