With the year-end just around the corner and winter closing in, now is the time to look for last minute deals and enjoy seasonal dive sites begging to be explored. Divers looking for crystal clear water, sunshine on their shoulders, and big marine life look no further. Here are our top five dive experiences to end the year on a high:

1 ) Spawning Groupers, Belize

Belize is home to the stunning Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System; a world heritage site and the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere. It contains the well-known Great Blue Hole; a giant submarine sinkhole that stretches across 318 meters of turquoise ocean and disappears into inky darkness at 124 meters’ depth. Divers can enjoy liveaboard diving Belize throughout the reef system, including the Blue Hole. A visit in November or December has the bonus of being grouper spawning season. Thousands of groupers, including the endangered Nassau Grouper, congregate in Belize during spawning season and offer unique photographic and behavioral opportunities for divers to enjoy.

2 ) Bull sharks, Costa Rica

Costa Rica is known for its wildlife and wilderness areas, both above and below water, and is popular with divers looking to experience pristine reefs, abundant fish life and, of course, the numerous hammerheads at Cocos Island. There are dives suitable for all experience levels and Costa Rica liveaboards allow divers to access remote sites far out at sea. December is a great time to visit, being the beginning of the dry season, a time of calmer seas, warm waters and fantastic water visibility. The Bat Islands are a must for divers wanting to encounter bull sharks and discover the behaviors of these incredible apex predators.

3 ) Whale sharks, Djibouti

Djibouti is a lesser-known dive destination off the beaten track and has sites for both divers and snorkelers of all abilities. Being relatively undiscovered, Djibouti’s dive sites are quiet and Djibouti liveaboards allow divers to reach otherwise inaccessible dive sites and enjoy crowd-free diving. Divers can enjoy healthy coral reefs with over 200 species of coral, plentiful fish and multiple Indian ocean dive sites. Pilot whales, mantas and nurse sharks can also be seen year-round. The highlight of a visit in November or December is undoubtedly spending time in the water with whale sharks. These gentle giants come to the area to feed in the plankton-rich waters and can be seen whilst diving or during dedicated snorkeling excursions.

4 ) Manta Rays, Maldives

The Maldives is a world-class dive destination on many divers’ wish lists and is known for its manta rays, sharks, and numerous dive sites off white-sand atolls. No longer just a luxury destination, the Maldives has dive resorts to cater for all budgets and a variety of Maldives liveaboard options to choose from. Ari Atoll is one of the most reliable areas to experience manta rays and December is the start of the calm season. With a water temperature of 26 to 29 degrees Celsius and good visibility, it is the perfect time of year to visit.

5 ) Humpback Whales, Turks and Caicos

For divers who can’t get away during the festive season, a New Year’s trip to Turks and Caicos is an ideal way to begin the year. Turks and Caicos is an archipelago of 40 islands and is a dive destination with consistently warm water, calm seas and abundant marine life. Highlights include hawksbill turtles, Caribbean reef sharks, bottlenose dolphins and numerous types of tropical fish. Turks and Caicos liveaboard diving is suitable for divers and snorkelers and is the best way to explore the multitude of dive sites throughout the archipelago. The peak diving season runs from December to March and offers the added opportunity to see, and listen to, migrating humpback whales.

Kathryn is a scuba diving instructor and writer for Liveaboard.com.