Maldives in the Green Season: Is the Wet Monsoon Worth It?

Updated October 2026

For many travellers, yes. The wetter south-west monsoon, roughly May to November, brings more rain, more wind and rougher seas, but most of the rain falls in short showers with sunny periods in between, and this is the season of the great manta gatherings in Baa Atoll. The price is the odd grey, windy spell and a seaplane that sometimes has to wait for the weather.

The wetter months are often called the green season. For the whole calendar, month by month, see the guide to the best time to visit the Maldives.

What the green season means in the Maldives

The Maldives has two seasons, both named after the wind. The Maldives Meteorological Service sets the drier north-east monsoon at January to March and the wetter south-west monsoon at mid-May to November, with December and April as the months when one hands over to the other. In practice, most travellers think of the drier north-east monsoon as running roughly December to April, and the wetter south-west monsoon as roughly May to November. The average temperature runs from about 25 to 32 degrees Celsius all year; rain, wind, sunshine and the sea are what change.

What the weather is really like

The Maldives Meteorological Service describes the rain as normally showery and short, with sunny periods in between. There is less sun than in the dry months, though: the Met Service records 7 to 9 hours of sunshine a day on average outside January to March, against 10 to 11 hours in those three months.

Some days are different. A band of rough weather can sit over the country for several days at a time, with grey skies, strong wind and choppy water, and in those spells boat trips and flights can be delayed or cancelled. Rain and wind also stir up the sea and lower visibility underwater.

Rain also increases from north to south, so the southern atolls are wetter over the year.

Seaplanes and the weather

Seaplanes in the Maldives fly in daylight only, and they need decent weather too. Rain, storms, poor visibility and rough seas can delay or cancel them, more often in the south-west monsoon. When it does, guests wait at the seaplane terminal or, if the day runs out, spend a night in Malé or Hulhumalé and fly the next morning.

A speedboat island close to the airport takes the seaplane out of the arrival day, though the crossing can be bumpy. Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa in North Malé Atoll, for example, is about 25 minutes from Velana International Airport by the resort's own speedboat, which runs around the clock.

For a seaplane island, the safest plan is a morning landing in Malé and a loose first afternoon, so a short delay costs a lunch rather than a night. Travel insurance that covers delays and cancellations is worth having in any season, and more so in this one.

What the green season does better

The big reason to come is the mantas, which move with the monsoon. The Manta Trust, the charity that studies them here, describes the population shifting from one side of the atolls to the other each time the season turns, with the biggest feeding gatherings generally on the sheltered, downwind sides of the atolls. An atoll is a ring of coral reef with islands scattered around it, and in the south-west monsoon the mantas favour the eastern sides.

The headline site is Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll, a tiny, shallow bay inside a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve where currents push plankton in and mantas gather to feed, sometimes in large numbers, roughly May to November. Hanifaru is a Marine Protected Area, diving is banned inside the bay, and visitors snorkel in groups led by a certified guide, under limits on boats and time in the water.

At Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, in the same atoll, the Manta-on-Call service alerts guests when mantas are spotted nearby in season and takes them out by speedboat to snorkel. Rough seas can stop a trip, and nobody can promise mantas on a given day. For where else they turn up, see the guide to marine life by atoll and season, or Baa Atoll resorts for manta season.

The islands are also quieter: resorts are less crowded than in the dry season. Surfers have their own reason: the main surf season runs from about April to October.

How to plan for a showery week

Choose the reef with care. A house reef is the coral reef you can swim to from the resort itself. When wind keeps the boats in, a good one still gives a daily swim from the beach, so it counts for more in this season. Wind lowers visibility on some reefs, so ask how the reef fares in a blow.

Look for things to do under a roof. A spa, a cooking class or a marine talk turns a wet afternoon into part of the holiday; the North Malé speedboat resort above offers a half-day Indian cooking class at Baraabaru, its Indian restaurant, for example. For a trip built around wellness, see the guide to choosing a spa island.

Stay long enough, and book boat trips early. On a three-night trip, a grey spell can take half the holiday. Five nights or more, with excursions booked early in the stay, leaves room for a cancelled trip to run another day. For more ideas that do not depend on sun, see things to do in the Maldives beyond the beach.

Who it suits, and who it doesn't

The green season suits snorkellers who want mantas, surfers, travellers who prefer a quieter island to guaranteed sun, and families whose dates are fixed by Indian summer school holidays, which in most states begin between mid-April and May and run into June. It suits travellers on a short stay with a seaplane transfer, couples who want every day to look like the brochure, and divers who want the clearest water of the year, much less well.

For anyone flexible about the weather, the trade of a few grey days for Baa Atoll's mantas and quieter islands is a good one. For anyone whose trip depends on sunshine, the drier months are the safer choice.

Common questions

Is it worth going to the Maldives in monsoon season?

Yes, for travellers who are flexible. Rain in the south-west monsoon, roughly May to November, usually comes in short showers with sun in between, though some spells bring several grey, windy days. Islands are quieter, and it is the season for the Baa Atoll mantas and the surf. Seaplanes can be delayed in bad weather.

Does it rain all day in the Maldives during the monsoon?

Usually not. The Maldives Meteorological Service describes the rain as normally showery and short, with sunny periods in between, and records 7 to 9 hours of sunshine a day on average outside January to March. Some spells of rough weather do last several days, with grey skies and strong wind.

Can you see manta rays in the Maldives in the rainy season?

Yes. In the south-west monsoon, roughly May to November, mantas gather on the eastern sides of the atolls, including Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll, where diving is banned and visitors snorkel with a certified guide. Sightings depend on weather, tide and plankton, so no day is guaranteed.

Do seaplanes fly in the Maldives in bad weather?

Not always. Seaplanes fly in daylight only, and rain, storms, poor visibility or rough seas can delay or cancel them, more often in the south-west monsoon. Guests then wait at the terminal or spend a night in Malé or Hulhumalé. A morning landing and a loose first day reduce the risk.