Aceh Besar, centred on the waters around Pulau Weh near Banda Aceh, sits in the Andaman Sea at the northern tip of Sumatra. The seven sites in our database include pinnacles, walls, drift dives, and open reefs, with depths reaching into the upper thirties of metres. Sites range from beginner-friendly shallows to advanced dives with strong currents and deep profiles. Visibility frequently reaches thirty metres or more, and species recorded here span both macro subjects such as harlequin shrimp and painted frogfish and large pelagics including whitetip reef sharks and whale sharks. The best conditions run from February to May and again from September to October.
Monthly water temperature across Aceh Besar's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Visibility is typically high and can exceed thirty metres, making this one of the clearer diving areas in western Indonesia. February to May and September to October are regarded as the most reliable periods, when seas are calmer and pelagic encounters are more frequent.
Water around Aceh Besar stays near 30°C all year, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
With water around 29–30°C, a rash guard or 3mm shorty works in Aceh Besar year-round.
Fin maps 7 sites in Aceh Besar (7 scuba diving sites and 1 snorkelling spots, with some suited to both).
Across Aceh Besar's dive sites, April, May, June and November are most often reported as the best months to visit.
2 more sites to explore
