Palawan has two seasons that decide almost everything about a trip: a dry season running roughly late November to May, and a wet season from June to October. Whale shark season in Puerto Princesa sits across the join, April to October. If you want calm seas and settled weather, come February or March. If you want whale sharks too, come April or May, when the two overlap.
The Two Monsoons, and What They Actually Do
The dry months are driven by the amihan, the northeast monsoon, which brings cooler and drier air down from the north. By the time that air reaches Palawan it has lost most of its moisture, which is why January through April are reliably dry here while the eastern Philippines is still getting rain. February and March are typically the driest months of all, with the calmest water.
From around June the habagat, the southwest monsoon, takes over, pulling warm moist air off the sea. Its peak is July and August. Rain in these months usually arrives as heavy bursts rather than all-day drizzle, so a wet-season day is often a good morning followed by a dramatic afternoon.
The exception worth planning around: October is the wettest month on record in Puerto Princesa, averaging around 271 mm across roughly 17 rain days. It is also still whale shark season, which makes it the month where a spare day in the itinerary matters most.
Month by Month
| Month | Weather | Seas and boats | Whale sharks | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Dry, cooler, breezy | Good, occasional windy days | Closed | High |
| February | Driest, clear | Calmest of the year | Closed | High |
| March | Dry, hot | Very calm | Closed | High, Holy Week can fall late March |
| April | Hot, dry | Calm | Season opens | High |
| May | Hot, first rains | Generally calm | Running | Low |
| June | Wet season begins | Variable | Running | Low |
| July | Monsoon peak | Variable, some cancellations | Running | Low |
| August | Monsoon peak | Variable, some cancellations | Running | Low |
| September | Wet, easing late | Variable | Running | Low |
| October | Wettest month here | Variable | Season closes | Low |
| November | Transition to dry | Improving week by week | Closed | Medium |
| December | Dry, festive | Good | Closed | Peak over Christmas |
Timing Whale Sharks Specifically
Whale sharks are present in Honda Bay from April to October — the same window researchers used for the surveys that led to the bay being designated an Important Shark and Ray Area by the IUCN Shark Specialist Group.
Plenty of operators claim a peak within that season. We do not, because our own field logs do not support a clean monthly pattern: sightings track plankton, current and water clarity, and a settled week in May can beat a rough week in July. Rather than pick a month for marketing reasons, we publish the crew sighting log so you can see what recent departures actually recorded. What the morning itself involves is in the whale shark day guide.
Outside April to October we do not run the tour at all. If your dates fall in that gap and whale sharks are the priority, Donsol in Sorsogon runs roughly November to June without feeding — a different island, and an honest alternative.
Typhoons: Less Risk, Not No Risk
Palawan sits south of the track most tropical cyclones take across the Philippines, which is why it is often described as typhoon-free. That is an overstatement. The most active months nationally are June to September, and independent hazard modelling still rates Palawan’s long-term cyclone exposure as high.
The practical effect for most visitors is not a storm but its edge: swell and wind that make small-boat days unsafe or unpleasant. Any operator that runs a boat in conditions their captain does not like is telling you something about how they make decisions.
Booking Around Philippine Holidays
- Holy Week (March or April) — the biggest domestic travel week of the year. Book flights, rooms and tours months ahead.
- Christmas to New Year — the second peak. Prices rise and small operators sell out early.
- All Saints Day (1 November) — a long weekend with a noticeable but shorter bump.
The Short Version
- Calmest water and clearest skies: February and March.
- Best overlap of good weather and whale sharks: April and May.
- Quietest with workable conditions: May, June and September.
- Cheapest, most flexible, most weather-dependent: July and August.
- Bring a spare day: anything between June and October.
The rest of the planning layer — airports, road times, costs and booking order — is in the Palawan travel guide.
Check the whale shark tour season · See the sighting log · Things to do in Palawan · How to get to Palawan
