The verdict
Best places to dive with blue whales
Balaenoptera musculus
The most reliable place to dive with blue whales is Loreto / Sea of Cortez North, from March.
| 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: 3 of 10 at peak | April: 2 of 10 at peak | May: 3 of 10 at peak | June: 3 of 10 at peak | July: 2 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: 2 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 2,773 OBIS records of blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) within 60 km of 11 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with blue whales
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Mexico Pacific | Mar | Near-guaranteed | 28 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 2 | Catalina Island | USA | May–Jul | Near-guaranteed | 23 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 3 | La Jolla / San Diego | USA | May–Jun | Likely | 19 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 4 | Monterey | USA | Dec–Jan, Sep–Oct | Likely | 18 of 32 years | Shore |
| 5 | Channel Islands | USA | Jun–Jul | Likely | 14 of 32 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 6 | Azores | Portugal | Apr–May | Likely | 12 of 28 years | Day boat |
| 7 | West (Hikkaduwa), Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka | Dec–Jan, Mar | Likely | 8 of 18 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 8 | Sea of Cortez / La Paz | Mexico Pacific | Feb, Apr | Hit-or-miss | 7 of 30 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 9 | Santa Maria, Azores | Portugal | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 6 of 26 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 10 | Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos | Ecuador | Aug | Hit-or-miss | 1 of 29 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
Also on record at Cabo San Lucas.
When to dive with blue whales
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Catalina Island | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| La Jolla / San Diego | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Monterey | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Possible | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Possible | Dec: Peak season |
| Channel Islands | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Azores | Jan: Not common | Feb: No survey data | Mar: Possible | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Possible | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| West (Hikkaduwa), Sri Lanka | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Peak season |
| Sea of Cortez / La Paz | Jan: Not common | 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: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Santa Maria, Azores | Jan: Not common | Feb: No survey data | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Blue whale month by month
- January
- Last peak month at Monterey. Also good at West (Hikkaduwa), Sri Lanka.
- February
- The one peak month at Sea of Cortez / La Paz.
- March
- The one peak month at Loreto / Sea of Cortez North. Also good at West (Hikkaduwa), Sri Lanka and Santa Maria, Azores.
- April
- Season starts at Azores. Also good at Sea of Cortez / La Paz.
- May
- Season starts at Catalina Island. Also good at La Jolla / San Diego and Azores.
- June
- Season starts at Channel Islands. Also good at Catalina Island and La Jolla / San Diego.
- July
- Last peak month at Catalina Island. Also good at Channel Islands.
- August
- The one peak month at Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos.
- September
- Season starts at Monterey.
- October
- Last peak month at Monterey.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Monterey.
- December
- Season starts at Monterey. Also good at West (Hikkaduwa), Sri Lanka.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months blue whales are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Mar | 20 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
| Catalina Island | May–Jul | 17–20 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| La Jolla / San Diego | May–Jun | 18–20 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
| Monterey | Dec–Jan, Sep–Oct | 13–16 °C | Drysuit |
| Channel Islands | Jun–Jul | 17–19 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
What else you'll see with blue whales
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
California sea lion
At Loreto / Sea of Cortez North, Catalina Island and 4 more
Humpback whale
At Loreto / Sea of Cortez North, Azores and Sea of Cortez / La Paz
Sardine
At Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and Monterey
Ocean sunfish
At Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and Monterey
Bottlenose dolphin
At Loreto / Sea of Cortez North and Azores
Common dolphin
At Loreto / Sea of Cortez North and Azores
Diving with blue whales: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with blue whales?
- The most reliable place to dive with blue whales is Loreto / Sea of Cortez North, from March.
- When is the best time to dive with blue whales?
- March, May to June, when 3 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Loreto / Sea of Cortez North peaks March; Catalina Island peaks May to July; La Jolla / San Diego peaks May to June.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with blue whales?
- At Loreto / Sea of Cortez North from March, the water is 20 °C to 20 °C, so bring a 5 mm with hood and gloves.
- How many places can you dive with blue whales?
- besttimetodive.com has blue whales on record at 11 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.