The verdict
Best places to dive with blue sharks
Prionace glauca
The most reliable place to dive with blue sharks is Channel Islands, from August to October.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 2 of 10 at peak | February: 1 of 10 at peak | March: 0 of 10 at peak | April: 3 of 10 at peak | May: 0 of 10 at peak | June: 1 of 10 at peak | July: 4 of 10 at peak | August: 3 of 10 at peak | September: 3 of 10 at peak | October: 1 of 10 at peak | November: 1 of 10 at peak | December: 0 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 3,483 OBIS records of blue shark (Prionace glauca) within 60 km of 11 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with blue sharks
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Channel Islands | USA | Aug–Oct | Near-guaranteed | 27 of 32 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 2 | Monterey | USA | Aug–Sep | Near-guaranteed | 26 of 32 years | Shore |
| 3 | Cape Town / False Bay | South Africa | All year | Likely | 10 of 32 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 4 | Cornwall | UK | Jul–Aug | Likely | 11 of 32 yearsfew records | Day boat, Shore |
| 5 | Catalina Island | USA | Jan, Jul, Nov | Likely | 12 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 6 | Poor Knights | New Zealand | Jan–Feb, Apr | Hit-or-miss | 8 of 31 years | Day boat |
| 7 | Azores | Portugal | Apr | Hit-or-miss | 5 of 28 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 8 | La Jolla / San Diego | USA | Jun–Jul | Hit-or-miss | 5 of 32 yearsfew records | Shore, Day boat |
| 9 | Ireland | Ireland | Jul | Hit-or-miss | 1 of 30 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 10 | Gansbaai | South Africa | Apr, Sep | Hit-or-miss | 3 of 32 yearsfew records | Cage |
Also on record at French Riviera / Corsica.
When to dive with blue sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Islands | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Monterey | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Cape Town / False Bay | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Cornwall | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Catalina Island | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Not common | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Possible |
| Poor Knights | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Azores | Jan: Not common | Feb: No survey data | Mar: Possible | 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 |
| La Jolla / San Diego | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Ireland | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Gansbaai | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Peak season | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Blue shark month by month
- January
- The one peak month at Catalina Island. Also good at Poor Knights.
- February
- Last peak month at Poor Knights.
- March
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cape Town / False Bay.
- April
- The one peak month at Poor Knights. Also good at Azores and Gansbaai.
- May
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cape Town / False Bay.
- June
- Season starts at La Jolla / San Diego.
- July
- Season starts at Cornwall. Also good at Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 1 more.
- August
- Season starts at Channel Islands. Also good at Monterey and Cornwall.
- September
- The one peak month at Gansbaai. Also good at Channel Islands and Monterey.
- October
- Last peak month at Channel Islands.
- November
- The one peak month at Catalina Island.
- December
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Channel Islands.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months blue sharks are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Islands | Aug–Oct | 19–20 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
| Monterey | Aug–Sep | 15–16 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Cape Town / False Bay | All year | 15–19 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Cornwall | Jul–Aug | 17 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Catalina Island | Jan, Jul, Nov | 15–20 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
What else you'll see with blue sharks
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Ocean sunfish
At Channel Islands, Monterey and 3 more
Sardine
At Channel Islands, Monterey and 2 more
California sea lion
At Channel Islands, Monterey and 2 more
Blue whale
At Monterey, Catalina Island and 2 more
Common thresher
At Channel Islands and Monterey
Humpback whale
At Cape Town / False Bay and Azores
Diving with blue sharks: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with blue sharks?
- The most reliable place to dive with blue sharks is Channel Islands, from August to October.
- When is the best time to dive with blue sharks?
- July, when 4 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Channel Islands peaks August to October; Monterey peaks August to September; Cape Town / False Bay peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with blue sharks?
- At Channel Islands from August to October, the water is 19 °C to 20 °C, so bring a 5 mm with hood and gloves.
- How many places can you dive with blue sharks?
- besttimetodive.com has blue sharks on record at 11 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.