Australia
Best Time to Dive in Ningaloo
21.95°S 113.90°E
Go May to July. Conditions are at their best and the whale shark season is on.
- Best time
- May–Jul
- Water
- 23–29 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Dived from
- day boat and snorkelling
- Tidal range
- 0.7–1.4 m
- Species logged
- 12
Worth knowing: 72% of days see seas over 1.5 m.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Ningaloo — monthly breakdown
A year of scuba diving conditions at a glance. Hover a month to isolate it.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditions | Poor | Poor | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| Visibility (m) | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 |
| Marine life | Steady | Steady | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season May–Jul
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Ningaloo diving season
March to July · Peak season
5 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 24–29 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 3 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains more. The wind eases.
Marine lifeWhale shark (near-guaranteed), Reef manta (hit-or-miss), Scalloped hammerhead (hit-or-miss) peak at Ningaloo in these months.
August to February · Off season
7 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 23–28 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 1 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. It rains less.
Marine lifeReef manta (hit-or-miss), Scalloped hammerhead (hit-or-miss) peak at Ningaloo in these months.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Ningaloo water temperature and weather
9,421 underwater observation records · 32 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Ningaloo water temperature by month
The dashed line is the monthly average. Eight days in ten fall inside the band.
10th to 90th percentile rangemonthly mean
24
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 80% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
0
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
2
wet days a month
0 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.6 m | 2% | 2 | 1 | 34 °C | 13.2 h |
| February | 2.5 m | 1% | 3 | 1 | 34 °C | 12.7 h |
| March | 2.2 m | 0% | 2 | 1 | 35 °C | 12.2 h |
| April | 2.3 m | 0% | 2 | 0 | 33 °C | 11.5 h |
| May | 2.4 m | 1% | 3 | 1 | 29 °C | 10.9 h |
| June | 2.7 m | 0% | 6 | 2 | 24 °C | 10.7 h |
| July | 2.9 m | 0% | 2 | 0 | 25 °C | 10.8 h |
| August | 3.0 m | 0% | 2 | 1 | 26 °C | 11.2 h |
| September | 2.9 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 29 °C | 11.9 h |
| October | 2.7 m | 1% | 0 | 0 | 31 °C | 12.5 h |
| November | 2.4 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 31 °C | 13.1 h |
| December | 2.5 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 34 °C | 13.3 h |
Swell is the rough end of the month: nine days in ten come in under it. Sea temperature covers 10 years, waves 4.
Pick your week
48 weeks from the daily record. Darker is better, against this site's own year. Pick a month for the detail.
| Week 1 | January week 1: Poor | February week 1: Poor | March week 1: Excellent | April week 1: Good | May week 1: Excellent | June week 1: Good | July week 1: Good | August week 1: Moderate | September week 1: Poor | October week 1: Moderate | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Poor | February week 2: Poor | March week 2: Excellent | April week 2: Good | May week 2: Excellent | June week 2: Good | July week 2: Excellent | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Moderate | October week 2: Moderate | November week 2: Poor | December week 2: Moderate |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Poor | February week 3: Poor | March week 3: Good | April week 3: Good | May week 3: Excellent | June week 3: Good | July week 3: Good | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Poor | October week 3: Poor | November week 3: Moderate | December week 3: Moderate |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Poor | February week 4: Poor | March week 4: Good | April week 4: Good | May week 4: Good | June week 4: Excellent | July week 4: Good | August week 4: Moderate | September week 4: Poor | October week 4: Moderate | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Poor |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: second of May
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.5 m | 29 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 27 °C | 2.5 m | 29 km/h | 4% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 27 °C | 2.7 m | 28 km/h | 9% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 27 °C | 2.7 m | 29 km/h | 9% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 27 °C | 2.6 m | 27 km/h | 13% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.6 m | 26 km/h | 11% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.4 m | 26 km/h | 7% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.5 m | 26 km/h | 6% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 2.4 m | 24 km/h | 4% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 2.3 m | 24 km/h | 6% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 2.2 m | 25 km/h | 9% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 2.2 m | 23 km/h | 10% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 2.2 m | 22 km/h | 11% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 2.3 m | 23 km/h | 10% |
| Week 3 | Good | 28 °C | 2.4 m | 23 km/h | 6% |
| Week 4 | Good | 28 °C | 2.3 m | 22 km/h | 3% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 2.2 m | 23 km/h | 5% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 27 °C | 2.2 m | 22 km/h | 4% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 27 °C | 2.3 m | 22 km/h | 7% |
| Week 4 | Good | 26 °C | 2.7 m | 23 km/h | 15% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 26 °C | 2.7 m | 23 km/h | 24% |
| Week 2 | Good | 25 °C | 2.7 m | 22 km/h | 26% |
| Week 3 | Good | 25 °C | 2.7 m | 22 km/h | 21% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 25 °C | 2.6 m | 23 km/h | 13% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 24 °C | 2.7 m | 23 km/h | 7% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.7 m | 23 km/h | 4% |
| Week 3 | Good | 24 °C | 2.7 m | 23 km/h | 7% |
| Week 4 | Good | 24 °C | 3.0 m | 23 km/h | 8% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 23 °C | 3.1 m | 23 km/h | 7% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 23 °C | 3.0 m | 24 km/h | 7% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 23 °C | 2.8 m | 24 km/h | 5% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 23 °C | 2.8 m | 24 km/h | 4% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 23 °C | 2.9 m | 25 km/h | 4% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 23 °C | 3.0 m | 26 km/h | 3% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 23 °C | 2.9 m | 27 km/h | 2% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.7 m | 28 km/h | 2% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 24 °C | 2.7 m | 28 km/h | 1% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 24 °C | 2.7 m | 28 km/h | 1% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.7 m | 29 km/h | 1% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 24 °C | 2.6 m | 30 km/h | 0% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.6 m | 29 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.5 m | 28 km/h | 1% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 25 °C | 2.4 m | 28 km/h | 1% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 25 °C | 2.4 m | 29 km/h | 1% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 25 °C | 2.5 m | 30 km/h | 1% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 26 °C | 2.4 m | 29 km/h | 2% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 26 °C | 2.4 m | 29 km/h | 1% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.6 m | 29 km/h | 0% |
10 years of daily records, averaged into weeks.
Gear & storms
What to wear
Off the coldest water of each month, not the average — that is what the suit has to cope with.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suit | January: 3 mm | February: 3 mm | March: skin | April: skin | May: 3 mm | June: 3 mm | July: 5 mm | August: 5 mm | September: 5 mm | October: 5 mm | November: 5 mm | December: 3 mm |
- Dec–Feb3 mm full suit
- Mar–Aprskin or 3 mm shorty
- May–Jun3 mm full suit
- Jul–Nov5 mm full suit
Swell through the year
The rough end of each month — nine days in ten come in under it.
Amber is over 1.5 m.
Tides
Tropical storms
8 of the last 30 Marchs saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Dec–May.
Share of the last 30 years with a storm that month.
- NOAASea surface temperature, from OISST and MUR
- ERA5Wind, waves, rain and air temperature, via Open-Meteo
- OBISMarine species records within 60 km
- IBTrACSTropical cyclone tracks, 1996 to 2025
Ningaloo marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whale shark | Apr, Jun | Near-guaranteed | 205 | ||
| Humpback whale | Aug–Sep | Near-guaranteed | 155 | ||
| Green turtle | All year | Likely | 4738 | ||
| Tiger shark | All year | Likely | 424 | ||
| Blacktip reef shark | All year | Likely | 1824 | ||
| Whitetip reef shark | All year | Hit-or-miss | 95 | ||
| Grey reef shark | All year | Hit-or-miss | 1377 | ||
| Loggerhead turtle | Dec–Mar | Hit-or-miss | 465 | ||
| Dugong | Sep, Nov | Hit-or-miss | 10 | ||
| Reef manta | Jul–Aug, Oct | Hit-or-miss | 9 | ||
| Bluespotted ribbontail ray | May–Jun, Sep–Oct | Hit-or-miss | 25 | ||
| Scalloped hammerhead | Feb–Mar, Jun | Hit-or-miss | 75 |
Peak Present
- Observed window
- Months with records. Peak is where most of them fall.
- Reliability
- Near-guaranteed in 60% of surveyed years or more
- Likely 30% to 60%
- Hit-or-miss under 30%
- Evidence
- Years it was seen, out of the years anyone surveyed.
- Records
- OBIS sightings within 60 km.
These are sightings people logged, not a full survey of the reef. A species missing from a month may just mean nobody recorded one.
Diving Ningaloo — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Ningaloo?
- Go May to July. Conditions are at their best and the whale shark season is on.
- When is the diving season in Ningaloo?
- The diving season in Ningaloo runs May to September, and it is at its best May to July.
- Is the diving in Ningaloo good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Ningaloo?
- Between 23 and 29 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in August and warmest in March. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Ningaloo?
- A 5 mm full suit covers the coldest water of the year. In the warmest months a skin or 3 mm shorty is enough.
- What is the visibility like in Ningaloo?
- Roughly 5 to 15 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Ningaloo?
- The most consistently recorded species are Whale shark (near-guaranteed), Humpback whale (near-guaranteed) and Green turtle (likely), from 9,421 records within 60 km.
- Does Ningaloo get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Dec–May, most often in March at 8 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Ningaloo?
- The tide rises and falls 1.4 m around the full and new moon, against 0.7 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Ningaloo?
- August–February are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Ningaloo?
- Mostly from day boats and the surface. Trips run through the season, May–Sep.