July is a great month for liveaboard adventures to dive with ocean giants; be that with numerous sharks and rays at Cocos Island or the Galapagos Islands, or even diving with whales at the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
Cocos Island, Costa Rica
Cocos Island is perhaps Costa Rica’s best dive area and the island has been a marine reserve for more than 30 years; offering pristine diving. Ocean currents bring nutrients to the waters of Cocos during July and these nutrients attract hundreds of hammerhead sharks, mantas and whale sharks to the area. It is early in the rainy season, with relatively calm waters, and it is a great time to experience the variety of megafauna on offer.
Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands have many world-class dive sites and Galapagos liveaboard diving means being surrounded by wildlife found nowhere else on earth. It is an ideal diving destination for advanced divers, who can enjoy swimming with marine iguanas, sea lions, eagle rays, manta rays and numerous sharks; including silky, Galapagos, blacktips, and schools of hammerhead sharks.
June to December is peak diving season and the Humboldt current carries cold water and plankton to the island during July. It is a great time of year for diving with whale sharks and manta rays, though there are also large numbers of hammerhead sharks, plus occasional silky and Galapagos sharks to enjoy.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Dwarf mink whales migrate to the Coral Sea each winter to breed and calve. The Great Barrier Reef is the only place in the world where divers and snorkelers can jump in the water with these whales. The M/V Spoilsport and Ocean Quest liveaboards both offers minke whale safaris during July each year. The largest pod of whales seen consisted of 28 whales and their longest encounter lasted a whopping 10 hours!
Divers can also experience some of the 1500 species of fish, 400 coral species, and numerous sharks found at the Great Barrier Reef. Iconic dive sites, such as those at Osprey Reef, Ribbons Reef and Cod Hole, are diver favourites just waiting to be explored.
Sipadan Island is another top dive destination and July brings flat seas and cloudless skies, just perfect for exploring this tropical paradise. Find out more in Best Places to Dive in July.
This article was written by divers and writers at LiveAboard.com
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