Best Scuba Diving in June

When June rolls around, a question many divers begin to ponder is where is the best place to dive in summer? The good news is that some of the world’s best diving destinations are at their finest at this time of year. Head to the Maldives to begin your summer in the lap of luxury above the surface while below you twirl with hundreds of manta rays. Or venture to the other side of the world for some guaranteed Caribbean sunshine along palm-trimmed beaches in Grenada while you watch prowling sharks below the surface. June is also the perfect time to set sail by liveaboard to Cocos Island, off Costa Rica, when plankton blooms attract hundreds of schooling hammerheads. And while Iceland doesn’t exactly have the best sunbathing weather, the slightly warm temperatures beckon divers who want some truly original underwater experiences. And, if you feel like ditching the crowds, the Solomon Islands welcomes you with hundreds of wrecks encrusted with rainbow corals. Ready to plan your early summer diving holiday? Read on for our recommendations on the best scuba diving in June.

Maldives

Let's kick off our roundup of the best scuba diving destinations for June with the Maldives. While the weather above the surface may be slightly unpredictable, that won't matter when you're below the waves twirling with hundreds of manta rays in the Baa Atoll's Hanifaru Bay. The westerly winds and lunar tides that occur from June until September bring huge numbers of plankton into the bay, in turn attracting hundreds of manta rays and, if you're lucky, some whale sharks.

The area is also home to the world's largest manta feeding station, so if mantas are your thing, you won't be disappointed. While you can dive Baa Atoll from land, the way to see the best dive sites in the area is by liveaboard (and luckily there are many options).

And while you're here, you may as well head down to the less explored Southern Atolls and benefit from the low season's lack of crowds. Here, so much of the ocean and reefs are yet to be explored and the limited number of resorts (all of which are only recent additions) means that we suggest opting for a liveaboard. There may be a few short spells of rain, but this is a small price to pay for the pristine coral reefs, hammerheads lurking in the depths and whale sharks cruising by.

Recommended by Emily Chappell

Grenada

For some beginner-friendly diving with guaranteed sunshine above the surface and pure joy below, head to Grenada. This dreamy destination has it all, from shallow coral reefs and sunken wrecks to a famous underwater sculpture park. And during the summer, the conditions are excellent with temperatures hovering between 26°C to 29°C and the water visibility ranging from 15-30m.

The best diving is along the west and south coast where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. For the shark lovers, head to the aptly named Shark Reef in the south of Grenada. The strong currents here attract nurse sharks along with other pelagic species. Or if it's coral diving you're dreaming of, explore the vibrant hard and soft corals and spot octopus, eels, crabs and an array of tropical reef fish.

And it's not all about the animals, Grenada also has a reputation as the wreck capital of the Caribbean. Serving every wreck head from the novice, with wrecks such as the Veronica L (a former cargo ship that was scuttled to serve as an artificial reef and rests at 15m), to the advanced with the MV Bianca C (nicknamed the 'Titanic of the Caribbean') that rests at 50m. The MV Bianca C was a 600ft-long luxury cruise liner that sank in 1961. With a swimming pool that is now full of reef fish and dark corridors that are roamed by eagle rays and schools of barracudas, it's a site you'll never get bored of.

Of course, we can't discuss Grenada without mentioning the Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park. Located in the Molinere-Beauséjour Marine Reserve, off the island's west coast, it's the world's first underwater sculpture park, created in 2006 by artist and conservationist Jason deCaires Taylor. There are over 75 life-sized sculptures, and more being added each year with the most famous being Vicissitudes - a ring of children holding hands, symbolising unity.

Recommended by Emily Chappell

Costa Rica

Set sail for Cocos Island, declared by legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau to be 'the most beautiful island in the world'. Located 340 miles offshore from Costa Rica in the Pacific Ocean, Cocos Island Marine Park can only be reached by liveaboard and is home to some of the world's best scuba diving. The main attraction? The hundreds of hammerhead sharks that converge in these waters.

The waters are calm and scuba diving in June means diving with the big stuff as the pelagics begin to arrive in large numbers. Nicknamed the 'Little Galapagos', Cocos Island has an impressive amount of wildlife including 250 species of fish, 30 coral species, 60 various crustaceans and three sea turtle species.

Over on the east coast, cruise with the resident hawksbill and loggerhead turtles while hunting out the elusive manatee and avoiding the saltwater crocodiles. Be camera-ready for a pouting photo alongside the endemic, red-lipped batfish while you keep an eye out for tuna, dolphins and jackfish. Diving in June means submerging in waters that are between 25°C to 28°C with excellent water visibility, often reaching 30m. Remember, Cocos Island is a liveaboard-only destination and due to the remoteness of this destination it's better suited to advanced divers.

Recommended by Rachel Gaw

Iceland

Why go diving in cold waters? So that you can reach our arms out and touch two continental plates at once! Iceland's Silfra fissure - a crack between the Nothern American and Eurasian tectonic plates - is the only place where you can dive (or snorkel) and have this experience. This popular dive site is located just outside of Reyjavik, in the Thingvellir National Park, and if you visit in June, you'll get to see it draped in vibrant green algae, or 'troll hair' as the locals call it.

The crystal-clear waters (we're talking visibility extending 100m) is glacial meltwater from the nearby Langjökull glacier. These waters are cold, hovering between 2-4°C so you'll need to be dry suit certified (in fact, you'll have to have completed ten dry suit dives within the previous two years). Don't worry though, we can help you get dry suit certified either in Iceland or at home. Although the depth does reach 60m, divers are not allowed to go deeper than 18mso that no one accidentally kicks up any silt, disturbing the visibility. While this is a year-round destination, the warmer above-surface temperature does mean that your interval time will be spent in relative warmth.

But there is more to diving in Iceland than the Silfra Fissure. Head to Kelifarvatn lake to experience the strange sensation of diving in a bubbling geothermal hot spring (you may notice the gentle vibrations of the surrounding rocks as air bubbles are pushed through the crater on the lake floor). Check out Bjarnagjá to dive within a kelp forest and spot nudibranchs and lumpsuckers. And venture to the east coast to explore WWII wrecks such as El Grillo (a British oil tanker) or the west coast in Garður to encounter cold-water creatures such as wolf fish and lumpsuckers.

Recommended by Charlotte Dunn

The Solomon Islands

Fancy escaping the tourist trail in search of treasure and untouched reefs? Then the Solomon Islands are one of the best places to go scuba diving in June. Located in the south-west Pacific, the Solomon Islands remain a diver's paradise. Blissfully uncrowded, and with diverse dive sites, thriving marine life and mysterious wrecks to discover, we can't hype up the Solomon Islands more.

During WWII, the eastern Solomon Islands played a crucial role and, as a result, there are around 200 ships and 600 aircraft scattered on the seabed off Guadalcanal's coast. There really is a wreck for every diver here, from the shallow shore dives of Hirokawa Maru, Kinugawa Maru and Kysyu Maru (three Japanese WWII wrecks) located on Bonegi Beach on Guadalcanal Island, to the deeper 35m Tulagi's Catalina, which was only discovered within the last decade.

Aside from the wrecks, the Solomon Islands offers dramatic walls encrusted in corals, patrolling schools of jacks and barracudas, cute critters such as seahorses, hairy squat lobsters and mantis shrimps, and bigger animals such as pilot whales and manta rays. Diving in June means diving in warm waters between 28°C to 30°C and with water visibility that can reach anywhere from 18-30m. The best way to dive this archipelago (of which there are 992 small islands, atolls and reefs) is via liveaboard.

Recommended by Rachel Gaw

Mozambique

Last, but certainly not least, head to Mozambique to witness the female humpback whales arriving into the channel with their calves. The dry season has just begun, and the waters are a solid 17°C with visibility ranging from 15-30m.

In need of some R&R? Head to the Bazaruto Archipelago, along the country's south coast, and luxuriate on secluded beaches before slipping below the surface to dive the Two Mile Reef (which you will almost have to yourself). The crystal-clear waters here are home to the elusive dugong and unspoilt reefs where tropical fish dart around fearlessly.

For the experienced divers, go off piste and dive Cabo San Sebastian. This site can only be found using GPS, so be sure to have your buddy with you and as you enjoy the boat ride to the site, keep an eye on the water surface to see huge numbers of game fish. The National Park in the Bazaruto Archipelago is worth checking out too, with hiding seahorses for the macro lovers and encounters with handsome dolphins for those who love the big stuff.

Recommended by Emily Chappell

Ready to book your June diving holiday? Reach out to our dedicated dive specialist to plan your tailor-made scuba diving holiday.