The verdict
Best places to dive with Atlantic spotted dolphins
Stenella frontalis
The most reliable place to dive with Atlantic spotted dolphins is Santa Maria, Azores, from July to August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 1 of 10 at peak | February: 1 of 10 at peak | March: 2 of 10 at peak | April: 3 of 10 at peak | May: 0 of 10 at peak | June: 2 of 10 at peak | July: 4 of 10 at peak | August: 2 of 10 at peak | September: 0 of 10 at peak | October: 0 of 10 at peak | November: 0 of 10 at peak | December: 1 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 1,597 OBIS records of Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) within 60 km of 10 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with Atlantic spotted dolphins
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Maria, Azores | Portugal | Jul–Aug | Near-guaranteed | 20 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 2 | Madeira | Portugal | All year | Near-guaranteed | 20 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Azores | Portugal | Jul–Aug | Near-guaranteed | 20 of 28 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Outer Banks | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 20 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 5 | Gran Canaria, Canary Islands | Spain | All year | Near-guaranteed | 13 of 21 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 6 | Tenerife, Canary Islands | Spain | Feb–Apr | Likely | 17 of 29 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 7 | Lanzarote, Canary Islands | Spain | Dec–Jan, Apr | Likely | 8 of 24 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 8 | Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) | Mexico Caribbean | Jun–Jul | Hit-or-miss | 6 of 26 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 9 | Cozumel | Mexico Caribbean | Jun–Jul | Hit-or-miss | 5 of 26 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 10 | Guadeloupe | Caribbean | Mar–Apr | Hit-or-miss | 3 of 29 yearsfew records | Day boat |
When to dive with Atlantic spotted dolphins
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria, Azores | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: No survey data |
| Madeira | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Azores | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Outer Banks | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Gran Canaria, Canary Islands | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Tenerife, Canary Islands | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Lanzarote, Canary Islands | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Peak season |
| Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Cozumel | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Guadeloupe | Jan: Possible | Feb: Not common | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Atlantic spotted dolphin month by month
- January
- Last peak month at Lanzarote, Canary Islands.
- February
- Season starts at Tenerife, Canary Islands.
- March
- Season starts at Guadeloupe. Also good at Tenerife, Canary Islands.
- April
- The one peak month at Lanzarote, Canary Islands. Also good at Tenerife, Canary Islands and Guadeloupe.
- May
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Madeira.
- June
- Season starts at Cenotes (Tulum / Playa). Also good at Cozumel.
- July
- Season starts at Santa Maria, Azores. Also good at Azores, Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) and 1 more.
- August
- Last peak month at Santa Maria, Azores. Also good at Azores.
- September
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Santa Maria, Azores.
- October
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Madeira.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Madeira.
- December
- Season starts at Lanzarote, Canary Islands.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months Atlantic spotted dolphins are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria, Azores | Jul–Aug | 22–24 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Madeira | All year | 19–24 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
| Azores | Jul–Aug | 22–24 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Outer Banks | All year | 18–28 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Gran Canaria, Canary Islands | All year | 19–23 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
What else you'll see with Atlantic spotted dolphins
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Bottlenose dolphin
At Santa Maria, Azores, Azores and Outer Banks
Short-finned pilot whale
At Santa Maria, Azores, Azores and Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
Sperm whale
At Santa Maria, Azores and Azores
Loggerhead turtle
At Santa Maria, Azores and Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Yellowfin tuna
At Santa Maria, Azores and Outer Banks
Common dolphin
At Madeira and Tenerife, Canary Islands
Diving with Atlantic spotted dolphins: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with Atlantic spotted dolphins?
- The most reliable place to dive with Atlantic spotted dolphins is Santa Maria, Azores, from July to August.
- When is the best time to dive with Atlantic spotted dolphins?
- July, when 4 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Santa Maria, Azores peaks July to August; Madeira peaks All year; Azores peaks July to August.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with Atlantic spotted dolphins?
- At Santa Maria, Azores from July to August, the water is 22 °C to 24 °C, so bring a 5 mm full suit.
- How many places can you dive with Atlantic spotted dolphins?
- besttimetodive.com has Atlantic spotted dolphins on record at 10 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.