Qatar
Best Time to Dive in Al Shaheen
26.10°N 52.05°E
Closed October to April. Divers come for the offshore whale shark aggregation over the Al Shaheen field. It runs all year, so pick your month on the sea and the sky: July to September.
- Best time
- Jul–Sep
- Water
- 21–34 °C
- Visibility
- 10–25 m
- Dived from
- liveaboard
- Tidal range
- 0.8–1.4 m
- Species logged
- 1
Where it is
222 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Al Shaheen — 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 | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Excellent | Excellent | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 23 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 29 | 25 |
| Visibility (m) | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 15–25 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 |
| Marine life | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Busy | Steady | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Jul–Sep
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Al Shaheen diving season
July · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 33–33 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 0 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains less. The sea is calmer.
August to September · Peak season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 34–34 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 0 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains less. The sea is calmer.
October to June · Off season
9 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 21–32 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 2 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains more. The sea is rougher.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Al Shaheen water temperature and weather
11 underwater observation records · 3 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Al Shaheen 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
Rarely
rough enough to cancel
Seas top 2.5 m on 1% of days. Enough to cancel a liveaboard crossing
4
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
1
wet days a month
0 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.9 m | 22% | 3 | 0 | 21 °C | 10.5 h |
| February | 2.3 m | 23% | 3 | 1 | 21 °C | 11.1 h |
| March | 2.1 m | 18% | 2 | 0 | 22 °C | 11.8 h |
| April | 1.5 m | 11% | 1 | 0 | 25 °C | 12.6 h |
| May | 2.0 m | 14% | 0 | 0 | 29 °C | 13.3 h |
| June | 1.8 m | 22% | 0 | 0 | 33 °C | 13.6 h |
| July | 1.5 m | 6% | 0 | 0 | 34 °C | 13.5 h |
| August | 1.0 m | 1% | 0 | 0 | 35 °C | 12.9 h |
| September | 1.4 m | 2% | 0 | 0 | 34 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 1.5 m | 6% | 0 | 0 | 31 °C | 11.4 h |
| November | 1.6 m | 6% | 2 | 1 | 28 °C | 10.7 h |
| December | 1.8 m | 10% | 3 | 1 | 24 °C | 10.4 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: Poor | April week 1: Poor | May week 1: Poor | June week 1: Poor | July week 1: Poor | August week 1: Good | September week 1: Excellent | October week 1: Poor | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Poor | February week 2: Poor | March week 2: Poor | April week 2: Poor | May week 2: Poor | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Moderate | August week 2: Excellent | September week 2: Excellent | October week 2: Poor | November week 2: Poor | December week 2: Poor |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Poor | February week 3: Poor | March week 3: Poor | April week 3: Poor | May week 3: Poor | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Good | August week 3: Excellent | September week 3: Good | October week 3: Poor | November week 3: Poor | December week 3: Poor |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Poor | February week 4: Poor | March week 4: Poor | April week 4: Poor | May week 4: Poor | June week 4: Moderate | July week 4: Good | August week 4: Excellent | September week 4: Good | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Poor |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: first of September
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.0 m | 28 km/h | 11% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 23 °C | 1.9 m | 29 km/h | 10% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 22 °C | 1.9 m | 31 km/h | 8% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 22 °C | 1.9 m | 34 km/h | 6% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 21 °C | 2.1 m | 34 km/h | 5% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 21 °C | 2.2 m | 32 km/h | 9% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 21 °C | 2.2 m | 31 km/h | 10% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 21 °C | 2.2 m | 31 km/h | 8% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 21 °C | 1.9 m | 28 km/h | 8% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 21 °C | 1.6 m | 27 km/h | 7% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 22 °C | 2.2 m | 30 km/h | 10% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 22 °C | 2.4 m | 30 km/h | 7% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 23 °C | 1.9 m | 25 km/h | 2% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.6 m | 24 km/h | 4% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.6 m | 25 km/h | 5% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.3 m | 24 km/h | 2% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 26 °C | 1.9 m | 25 km/h | 1% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 27 °C | 2.0 m | 26 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.0 m | 26 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.9 m | 27 km/h | 0% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.9 m | 27 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.9 m | 29 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.9 m | 31 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 31 °C | 1.8 m | 26 km/h | 0% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 32 °C | 1.7 m | 23 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 32 °C | 1.4 m | 21 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Good | 33 °C | 1.0 m | 20 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Good | 33 °C | 1.2 m | 20 km/h | 1% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 34 °C | 1.3 m | 20 km/h | 1% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 34 °C | 0.9 m | 20 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 34 °C | 0.8 m | 19 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 34 °C | 1.0 m | 17 km/h | 0% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 34 °C | 1.0 m | 17 km/h | 1% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 34 °C | 1.0 m | 18 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Good | 33 °C | 1.5 m | 19 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Good | 33 °C | 1.6 m | 20 km/h | 0% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 33 °C | 1.7 m | 20 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 32 °C | 1.2 m | 19 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 31 °C | 1.2 m | 20 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 31 °C | 1.6 m | 21 km/h | 1% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.5 m | 21 km/h | 3% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 22 km/h | 5% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.7 m | 25 km/h | 9% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.9 m | 27 km/h | 8% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.8 m | 27 km/h | 7% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 26 °C | 1.7 m | 27 km/h | 11% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.8 m | 27 km/h | 11% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.9 m | 27 km/h | 8% |
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: 5 mm | February: 5 mm + | March: 5 mm + | April: 5 mm | May: 3 mm | June: skin | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: 5 mm |
- Dec–Jan5 mm full suit
- Feb–Mar5 mm with hood and gloves
- Apr5 mm full suit
- May3 mm full suit
- Jun–Novskin or 3 mm shorty
Swell through the year
The rough end of each month — nine days in ten come in under it.
Amber is over 2.5 m.
Tides
Tropical storms
No tropical storm has come within 250 km in 30 years of records. Swell and wind set the season, not cyclones.
- 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
Al Shaheen marine life — what you'll see diving
Only 11 records have been logged within 60 km. A thin record is not an empty reef.
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green turtle | Aug | Near-guaranteed | 10 |
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 Al Shaheen — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Al Shaheen?
- Closed October to April. Divers come for the offshore whale shark aggregation over the Al Shaheen field. It runs all year, so pick your month on the sea and the sky: July to September.
- When is the diving season in Al Shaheen?
- The diving season in Al Shaheen runs July to September.
- Is the diving in Al Shaheen good for beginners?
- Yes. It is known as a snorkelling site as much as a dive site, so no experience is needed to get in the water.
- How warm is the water in Al Shaheen?
- Between 21 and 34 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in February and warmest in August. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Al Shaheen?
- A 5 mm with hood and gloves 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 Al Shaheen?
- Roughly 10 to 25 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Al Shaheen?
- The most consistently recorded species are Green turtle (near-guaranteed), from 11 records within 60 km.
- Does Al Shaheen get tropical storms?
- No. None has passed within 250 km in 30 years of records.
- Is there current in Al Shaheen?
- The tide rises and falls 1.4 m around the full and new moon, against 0.8 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Al Shaheen?
- The site is closed Oct–Apr. October–June are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Al Shaheen?
- Mostly from liveaboards. Trips run through the season, Jul–Sep.