Where to dive in May
Wakatobi and Sipadan are the two May picks in this calendar. Choose Wakatobi for coral walls and small marine life, or Sipadan for turtles, reef sharks and schools of barracuda and jacks. Confirm Sipadan permit days before booking.
Wakatobi
Long dives on coral-covered walls. The best time to dive here is April — May · October — November.
Read the Wakatobi guide →2 destinations for May
Listed in overall rank order.
Wakatobi
Long dives on coral-covered walls.
Wakatobi suits divers who want to spend time on the reef, looking at coral and small marine life. Sharks and large pelagics are less common here. Its lower position reflects this list’s preference for big animals, rather than poor reef diving.
- Best months
- April — May · October — November
- Go for
- Coral walls · Turtles · Macro life
Sipadan
Sharks, turtles and dense schools of fish.
Sipadan has grey and whitetip reef sharks, barracuda, jacks, turtles and bumphead parrotfish. Permits limit how many days you can dive there. Confirm your Sipadan days with the operator before booking; nearby Mabul and Kapalai offer different diving.
- Best months
- March — May
- Go for
- Reef sharks · Barracuda and jacks · Bumphead parrotfish