Best places to dive in April
Oslob rates highest in April, and 9 of the top 10 are in the Asia-Pacific and the Caribbean. Orca season starts at Scapa Flow.
At the ten best-rated destinations
At their peak somewhere this month
Of 146 rated destinations
Destinations with a 1 in 10 storm chance or more
The top ten in April
| # | Destination | Region | Water | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oslob | Asia-Pacific | 28 °C | Feb–Jun |
| 2 | Martinique | Caribbean | 27 °C | Jan–May |
| 3 | Loreto / Sea of Cortez NorthThe sea lion colony at Coronado and the island walls | Americas | 22 °C | Mar–Apr |
| 4 | Guadeloupe | Caribbean | 27 °C | Jan–May |
| 5 | Dumaguete / Dauin | Asia-Pacific | 28 °C | Feb–May |
| 6 | Apo Island | Asia-Pacific | 28 °C | Feb–May |
| 7 | Puerto Galera | Asia-Pacific | 28 °C | Feb–May |
| 8 | Bohol / Panglao | Asia-Pacific | 29 °C | Jan–May |
| 9 | MoalboalThe resident sardine ball off Panagsama, a few metres from shore | Asia-Pacific | 29 °C | Jan–May |
| 10 | Koh Tao | Asia-Pacific | 30 °C | Feb–Jun |
Region by region
Red Sea & Middle East
7 of 7 at their best
The whole region is in season. Expect 23–24 °C water and dry weather. Daedalus Reef is in scalloped hammerhead season.
Caribbean
18 of 30 at their best
The sea sits at 25–28 °C. Key Largo, Florida Keys is in southern stingray season.
Asia-Pacific
22 of 49 at their best
5 destinations are in storm season, with up to a 20% chance of a storm passing nearby. This is the wet season, with rain on about 15 days. It is shortfin mako season at Poor Knights.
Americas
9 of 27 at their best
The sea sits at 1–30 °C. Loreto / Sea of Cortez North is in California sea lion season.
Indian Ocean
4 of 15 at their best
This is the wet season, with rain on about 15 days. Seas are rough, with the bigger days over 2.2 m of swell. It is spinner dolphin season at West (Hikkaduwa), Sri Lanka.
Europe & Atlantic
2 of 21 at their best
Off season for most of the region. Seas are rough, with the bigger days over 2.4 m of swell. The water is cold, around 14 °C at the cooler sites. It is orca season at Scapa Flow.
Wildlife in season in April
California sea lion
Loreto / Sea of Cortez NorthPeak Feb–Apr
Southern stingray
Key Largo, Florida KeysPeak Feb–Apr
Orca
Scapa FlowPeak Apr–Jun
Grey whale
AlaskaPeak Apr
Shortfin mako
Poor KnightsPeak Feb–Apr
Common dolphin
MadeiraPeak Jan–Apr
Whale shark
DonsolPeak Mar–May
Zebra shark
Koh Phi PhiPeak Mar–Apr, Oct
Also in season: spinner dolphin, bumphead parrotfish, reef manta, blacktip reef shark, Atlantic spotted dolphin, manatee, blue whale, camouflage grouper, sperm whale, yellowfin tuna, Munk's mobula, oceanic manta, oceanic whitetip, bigeye trevally, scalloped hammerhead, grey reef shark, lemon shark, angelshark, bull shark.
Diving in April: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive in April?
- Oslob, followed by Martinique and Loreto / Sea of Cortez North. The Asia-Pacific and the Caribbean hold 9 of the top ten.
- Where is the warmest water for diving in April?
- North & Central Atolls, Maldives at 30 °C, Seychelles at 30 °C and Koh Tao at 30 °C, all with good conditions that month.
- What marine life is in season in April?
- California sea lion at Loreto / Sea of Cortez North, southern stingray at Key Largo, Florida Keys, orca at Scapa Flow, grey whale at Alaska and shortfin mako at Poor Knights. 27 animals with a season are at their peak somewhere in April.
- Where should you avoid diving in April?
- Rowley Shoals, Beqa Lagoon, Fiji and Ningaloo and 4 more destinations are in storm season, with up to a 20% chance of a storm passing nearby. Measured from NOAA storm tracks since 1980.