Asia-Pacific
Best Time to Dive in the Great Barrier Reef
2 dive areas, each scored on its own. The season peaks June–July at the Ribbon Reefs, and July–November at Cairns.
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns | January: Off season | February: Off season | March: Off season | April: Off season | May: Moderate | June: Good | July: Good | August: Good | September: Good | October: Good | November: Good | December: Moderate |
| Ribbon Reefs | January: Off season | February: Off season | March: Off season | April: Off season | May: Moderate | June: Good | July: Good | August: Off season | September: Off season | October: Off season | November: Off season | December: Off season |
Off season Moderate Good
The Great Barrier Reef compared
| Dive area | Best time | Water | Visibility | Dived from | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns | Jul–Nov | 25–30 °C | 15–30 m | liveaboard and day boat | Open Water |
| Ribbon Reefs | Jun–Jul | 25–29 °C | 10–25 m | liveaboard | Advanced Open Water |
Water and visibility are the whole year's range at each area, coldest month to warmest. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Which area to pick
- Cairns
- Best from July to November. It has the clearest water, up to 30 m, suits Open Water divers, is dived only from liveaboards and day boats and is the one for great hammerheads.
- Ribbon Reefs
- Best from June to July. It has the lowest visibility, 10–25 m, is dived only from liveaboards and is the one for sailfish.
The Great Barrier Reef month by month
Two or more areas are good at once in June to July: the time to combine them in one trip.
- Jan–Apr
- Nowhere at its best.
- May
- Nowhere at its best; Cairns and the Ribbon Reefs are workable.
- Jun–Jul
- Every area is good.
- Aug–Nov
- Good at Cairns. Off season at the Ribbon Reefs.
- Dec
- Nowhere at its best; Cairns is workable.
Cairns
The pull is the outer Great Barrier Reef. That does not change through the year, so go when the weather is best: July to November. The full season runs June to November.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: Off season | February: Off season | March: Off season | April: Off season | May: Moderate | June: Good | July: Good | August: Good | September: Good | October: Good | November: Good | December: Moderate |
Off season Moderate Good
- Water
- 25–30 °C
- Wear
- 3 mm full suit
- Dived from
- liveaboard and day boat
- Suits
- Open Water
Known for Whale shark, Great hammerhead
Cairns month by month →Ribbon Reefs
Go June to July for minke whale. 54% of days gust over 40 km/h then. The calmest water is July to November. The wider season runs June to December.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: Off season | February: Off season | March: Off season | April: Off season | May: Moderate | June: Good | July: Good | August: Off season | September: Off season | October: Off season | November: Off season | December: Off season |
Off season Moderate Good
- Water
- 25–29 °C
- Wear
- 3 mm full suit
- Dived from
- liveaboard
- Suits
- Advanced Open Water
Known for Whale shark, Sailfish
Ribbon Reefs month by month →Diving in the Great Barrier Reef: common questions
- When is the best time to dive the Great Barrier Reef?
- It depends which area. The season peaks June–July at the Ribbon Reefs, and July–November at Cairns.
- Can you dive the Great Barrier Reef all year?
- Not everywhere at once. Counting both areas, 6 months of the year have somewhere at its best; the rest are workable but off peak.
- How warm is the water in the Great Barrier Reef?
- 25 to 30 °C across the year, depending on the area and the month. Each area's page gives its own month-by-month temperatures.
- What can you see diving in the Great Barrier Reef?
- The headline animals are whale shark, great hammerhead and sailfish. Each area's page lists everything recorded near it, with the months it was seen.