The verdict
Best places to dive with blacktip reef sharks
Carcharhinus melanopterus
The most reliable place to dive with blacktip reef sharks is Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 0 of 10 at peak | February: 0 of 10 at peak | March: 1 of 10 at peak | April: 3 of 10 at peak | May: 2 of 10 at peak | June: 0 of 10 at peak | July: 0 of 10 at peak | August: 1 of 10 at peak | September: 1 of 10 at peak | October: 1 of 10 at peak | November: 0 of 10 at peak | December: 0 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 3,662 OBIS records of blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) within 60 km of 35 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with blacktip reef sharks
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia | Fr. Polynesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 21 of 23 years | Day boat |
| 2 | North & Central Atolls, Maldives | Maldives | All year | Near-guaranteed | 18 of 23 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 3 | Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives | Maldives | All year | Near-guaranteed | 12 of 16 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Rangiroa, French Polynesia | Fr. Polynesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 14 of 19 years | Day boat |
| 5 | Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat | Indonesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 13 of 19 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 6 | Ribbon Reefs | Australia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 20 of 32 years | Liveaboard |
| 7 | Fakarava, French Polynesia | Fr. Polynesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 11 of 18 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 8 | Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon | Micronesia | Apr–May | Near-guaranteed | 6 of 10 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 9 | Wayag / North, Raja Ampat | Indonesia | Mar–May, Oct | Near-guaranteed | 10 of 15 years | Liveaboard |
| 10 | East (Trincomalee), Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka | Apr, Aug–Sep | Near-guaranteed | 7 of 8 yearsfew records | Day boat |
Also on record at Koh Phi Phi, Phuket, Cairns, Komodo North, Komodo South, Solomon Islands, Koh Tao, Palau, Ningaloo, Watamu, Beqa Lagoon, Fiji, Richelieu Rock, Togean Islands, Perhentian, Redang, Tioman, Misool, Raja Ampat, Yap, Bohol / Panglao, Oslob, West (Hikkaduwa), Sri Lanka, Oahu, Tulamben / Amed, Seychelles and Nusa Penida.
When to dive with blacktip reef sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| North & Central Atolls, Maldives | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Rangiroa, French Polynesia | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Ribbon Reefs | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Fakarava, French Polynesia | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon | Jan: Possible | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: No survey data |
| Wayag / North, Raja Ampat | Jan: Possible | Feb: Not common | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Possible | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| East (Trincomalee), Sri Lanka | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Peak season | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Blacktip reef shark month by month
- January
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia.
- February
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia.
- March
- Season starts at Wayag / North, Raja Ampat.
- April
- Season starts at Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon. Also good at Wayag / North, Raja Ampat and East (Trincomalee), Sri Lanka.
- May
- Last peak month at Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon. Also good at Wayag / North, Raja Ampat.
- June
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia.
- July
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia.
- August
- Season starts at East (Trincomalee), Sri Lanka.
- September
- Last peak month at East (Trincomalee), Sri Lanka.
- October
- The one peak month at Wayag / North, Raja Ampat.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia.
- December
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months blacktip reef sharks are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia | All year | 27–29 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| North & Central Atolls, Maldives | All year | 29–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives | All year | 29–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Rangiroa, French Polynesia | All year | 27–30 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat | All year | 29–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
What else you'll see with blacktip reef sharks
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Grey reef shark
At North & Central Atolls, Maldives, Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives and 5 more
Napoleon wrasse
At North & Central Atolls, Maldives, Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives and 4 more
Reef manta
At North & Central Atolls, Maldives, Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives and 2 more
Whitetip reef shark
At North & Central Atolls, Maldives, Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat and 2 more
Bigeye trevally
At Ribbon Reefs, Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon and Wayag / North, Raja Ampat
Spinner dolphin
At Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia and East (Trincomalee), Sri Lanka
Diving with blacktip reef sharks: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with blacktip reef sharks?
- The most reliable place to dive with blacktip reef sharks is Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with blacktip reef sharks?
- April, when 3 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia peaks All year; North & Central Atolls, Maldives peaks All year; Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with blacktip reef sharks?
- At Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia from All year, the water is 27 °C to 29 °C, so bring a 3 mm full suit.
- How many places can you dive with blacktip reef sharks?
- besttimetodive.com has blacktip reef sharks on record at 35 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.