Where to dive in July
Choose Fakarava for sharks in the passes, or Komodo for mantas and varied reef dives. Princess Alice Bank offers devil rays in blue water, weather permitting. The Solomon Islands are another option for reefs and wrecks with fewer boats.
Fakarava + Rangiroa
Grey reef sharks in the passes. The best time to dive here is June — July.
Read the Fakarava + Rangiroa guide →4 destinations for July
Listed in overall rank order.
Fakarava + Rangiroa
Grey reef sharks in the passes.
Hundreds of grey reef sharks gather at Fakarava’s south pass. Plan the dives around the tides, and check the expected grouper spawning dates if that is why you are going. Add Rangiroa for dolphins and more pass diving.
- Best months
- June — July
- Go for
- Shark wall · Grouper spawn · Pass dives
Komodo
Mantas and fast drifts over busy reefs.
Komodo offers manta dives, coral gardens and fast drifts past reef sharks and tuna. The northern pinnacles can be packed with fish. Reef condition varies by site, but the best dives combine healthy coral with plenty of big-animal activity.
- Best months
- July — August
- Go for
- Reef mantas · Drift dives · Sharks and tuna
Princess Alice Bank
Devil rays above an Atlantic seamount.
Chilean devil rays gather above Princess Alice Bank, often circling divers in blue water. Tuna and jacks add to the dives. The offshore boat ride is long and weather can cancel it, so leave spare days in your trip.
- Best months
- July — September
- Go for
- Schools of devil rays · Tuna · Blue-water seamount
Solomon Islands
Quiet reefs, schooling fish and wartime wrecks.
Mary Island is known for schooling fish, Uepi for walls, and Munda for reefs and wrecks. There are relatively few dive boats, and transfers take planning. Choose the area or liveaboard route around the kind of diving you want.
- Best months
- June — August
- Go for
- Schooling jacks · Barracuda · Healthy walls