Mexico is a top destination for August, as the conditions are excellent in the Sea of Cortez. In the Southern hemisphere, Sipadan in Malaysia, French Polynesia and Bali offer world class diving.
4 Top dive destinations in August
Mexico – Sea of Cortez
Liveaboard diving in Mexico is extremely popular and is all about encounters with large pelagic life. The Sea of Cortez diving season runs from July to October and is great for both reef diving amongst small species and diving with large marine life. The most well-known attraction of the area is the curious sea lions that come close to divers, plus the playful juvenile sea lions that are present during August and September at El Arrayo, Punta Martir.
The Sea of Cortez also has whale sharks and jumping mobula rays to enjoy at this time of year. The reefs are not to be missed amongst all the ocean giants, and are covered with sponges, corals, sea fans and many species of nudibranchs.
Malaysia – Sipadan for mating Turtles
If you’re a fan of turtles and tropical diving rather than sharks, August is the time to visit Sipadan Island in Borneo, Malaysia. The waters of Sipadan are full of mating green turtles during August and liveaboards in the area offer the chance to dive with these turtles.
Image: DepositPhotosFrench Polynesia – Tiputa Pass for Manta Rays and Humpback Whales
Tiputa Pass, in French Polynesia, is famous for its sharks, manta rays, turtles and dolphins. August is the perfect time to dive here as humpbacks appear in the archipelago at this time and the manta rays also arrive.
Image: Deposit PhotosIndonesia – Bali for Mola mola
In August the fabulous Mola mola or Sunfish appear at Nusa Penida, a small island off Bali. This is an enormous fish, weighing as much as 1000 kg! As well as the chance to see this giant, Nusa Penida is home to a resident squadron of manta rays
This article was written by divers and writers of LiveAboard.com. Additional material by J. Studholme.
Image credits:
- green turtle: DepositPhotos
- Giant manta rays: Deposit Photos
