Best places to dive in November
Komodo North rates highest in November, and 7 of the top 10 are in the Red Sea & Middle East and the Asia-Pacific. Bull shark season starts at Cozumel.
At the ten best-rated destinations
At their peak somewhere this month
Of 145 rated destinations
Destinations with a 1 in 10 storm chance or more
The top ten in November
| # | Destination | Region | Water | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Komodo North | Asia-Pacific | 30 °C | Jun–Oct |
| 2 | Nosy Be | Indian Ocean | 28 °C | May–Sep |
| 3 | Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras MohammedRas Mohammed's reef walls, Shark and Yolanda, and the Thistlegorm | Red Sea & Middle East | 27 °C | Oct–Dec |
| 4 | Marsa AlamElphinstone reef and the offshore pinnacles | Red Sea & Middle East | 27 °C | Oct–Feb |
| 5 | Rowley ShoalsThe untouched hard coral of the outer atolls and the drift through the lagoon entrances | Asia-Pacific | 29 °C | Aug–Nov |
| 6 | Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm | Red Sea & Middle East | 26 °C | Oct–Dec |
| 7 | Big Island / Kona | Asia-Pacific | 27 °C | Sep–Dec |
| 8 | Loreto / Sea of Cortez NorthThe sea lion colony at Coronado and the island walls | Americas | 26 °C | Mar–Apr |
| 9 | HurghadaThe Thistlegorm and the Giftun reefs | Red Sea & Middle East | 27 °C | Oct–Dec |
| 10 | Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos | Americas | 21 °C | Oct–Jan |
Region by region
Red Sea & Middle East
7 of 7 at their best
The whole region is in season. Dry weather, with the sea at 26–27 °C. Abu Dabbab is in oceanic whitetip season.
Americas
8 of 27 at their best
The season is opening, up from 4 at their best in October. Socorro / Revillagigedo reopens after the closed season. Peninsula Valdes is in southern elephant seal season.
Asia-Pacific
14 of 49 at their best
12 destinations are in storm season, with up to a 47% chance of a storm passing nearby. This is the wet season, with rain on about 18 days. It is reef manta season at Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat.
Indian Ocean
4 of 15 at their best
The season is opening, up from 2 at their best in October. This is the wet season, with rain on about 15 days.
Europe & Atlantic
3 of 21 at their best
Off season for most of the region. Seas are rough, with the bigger days over 2.7 m of swell. The water is cold, around 17 °C at the cooler sites. It is orca season at Narvik wrecks.
Caribbean
4 of 30 at their best
Off season for most of the region. 14 destinations are in storm season, with up to a 17% chance of a storm passing nearby. Rain falls on about 16 days of the month. Cozumel is in bull shark season.
Wildlife in season in November
Southern elephant seal
Peninsula ValdesPeak Oct–Nov
Bull shark
CozumelPeak Jan–Feb, Nov
Orca
Narvik wrecksPeak Nov–Jan
Reef manta
Dampier Strait, Raja AmpatPeak Jan–Mar, Nov
Great white shark
Guadalupe IslandPeak Sep–Nov
Bumphead parrotfish
Wayag / North, Raja AmpatPeak Jan, Mar, Oct–Nov
Sand tiger shark
Byron Bay / Julian RocksPeak Jun–Aug, Nov
California sea lion
Cabo PulmoPeak Jan, Mar–Apr, Nov
Also in season: short-finned pilot whale, blue shark, ocean sunfish, oceanic manta, camouflage grouper, oceanic whitetip, dugong, scalloped hammerhead, blackfin barracuda.
Diving in November: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive in November?
- Komodo North, followed by Nosy Be and Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed. The Red Sea & Middle East and the Asia-Pacific hold 7 of the top ten.
- Where is the warmest water for diving in November?
- Misool, Raja Ampat at 30 °C, Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat at 30 °C and Komodo North at 30 °C, all with good conditions that month.
- What marine life is in season in November?
- Southern elephant seal at Peninsula Valdes, bull shark at Cozumel, orca at Narvik wrecks, reef manta at Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat and great white shark at Guadalupe Island. 17 animals with a season are at their peak somewhere in November.
- Where should you avoid diving in November?
- Donsol, Nha Trang and Ticao / Manta Bowl and 36 more destinations are in storm season, with up to a 47% chance of a storm passing nearby. Measured from NOAA storm tracks since 1980.