The verdict
Best places to dive with bluespotted ribbontail rays
Taeniura lymma
The most reliable place to dive with bluespotted ribbontail rays is Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm, 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: 0 of 10 at peak | April: 0 of 10 at peak | May: 0 of 10 at peak | June: 2 of 10 at peak | July: 0 of 10 at peak | August: 2 of 10 at peak | September: 2 of 10 at peak | October: 0 of 10 at peak | November: 0 of 10 at peak | December: 0 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Possible only
Based on 3,653 OBIS records of bluespotted ribbontail ray (Taeniura lymma) within 60 km of 43 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with bluespotted ribbontail rays
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm | Red Sea | All year | Near-guaranteed | 24 of 27 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 2 | Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed | Red Sea | All year | Near-guaranteed | 24 of 28 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Marsa Alam | Red Sea | All year | Near-guaranteed | 22 of 26 years | Day boat, Liveaboard |
| 4 | El Quseir | Red Sea | All year | Near-guaranteed | 17 of 20 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 5 | Safaga | Red Sea | All year | Near-guaranteed | 21 of 25 years | Day boat |
| 6 | Abu Dabbab | Red Sea | All year | Near-guaranteed | 21 of 26 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 7 | Hurghada | Red Sea | All year | Near-guaranteed | 21 of 26 years | Day boat, Liveaboard |
| 8 | Nuweiba / Ras Abu Galum | Red Sea | Jun, Aug–Sep | Near-guaranteed | 16 of 20 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 9 | Mabul / Kapalai | Malaysia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 18 of 23 years | Day boat |
| 10 | Eilat | Israel | Jun, Aug–Sep | Near-guaranteed | 15 of 20 years | Day boat, Shore |
Also on record at Aqaba, Lembeh Strait, Sipadan, Tulamben / Amed, Cairns, Lombok, Bunaken, Nusa Penida, Dahab, Gili Islands, Pulau Weh, Wakatobi, Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat, Komodo North, Komodo South, Koh Tao, Tioman, Ribbon Reefs, St John's / Fury Shoals, Tubbataha, Anilao, Puerto Galera, Brothers Islands, Perhentian, Redang, Zabargad & Rocky Island, Watamu, Nosy Be, Zanzibar, Togean Islands, Ningaloo, Misool, Raja Ampat and Ponta do Ouro.
When to dive with bluespotted ribbontail rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Marsa Alam | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| El Quseir | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Safaga | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Abu Dabbab | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Hurghada | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Nuweiba / Ras Abu Galum | Jan: Possible | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
| Mabul / Kapalai | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Eilat | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common
Bluespotted ribbontail ray month by month
- January
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm.
- February
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm.
- March
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm.
- April
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm.
- May
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm.
- June
- The one peak month at Nuweiba / Ras Abu Galum. Also good at Eilat.
- July
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm.
- August
- Season starts at Nuweiba / Ras Abu Galum. Also good at Eilat.
- September
- Last peak month at Nuweiba / Ras Abu Galum. Also good at Eilat.
- October
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm.
- December
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months bluespotted ribbontail rays are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm | All year | 22–29 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed | All year | 23–29 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Marsa Alam | All year | 23–30 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| El Quseir | All year | 23–30 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Safaga | All year | 22–29 °C | 5 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with bluespotted ribbontail rays
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Bottlenose dolphin
At Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm, Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed and 3 more
Ocellated eagle ray
At Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed, El Quseir and Eilat
Oceanic whitetip
At Marsa Alam, El Quseir and Abu Dabbab
Napoleon wrasse
At El Quseir, Safaga and Mabul / Kapalai
Spinner dolphin
At Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm and Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed
Green turtle
At El Quseir
Diving with bluespotted ribbontail rays: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with bluespotted ribbontail rays?
- The most reliable place to dive with bluespotted ribbontail rays is Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with bluespotted ribbontail rays?
- June, August to September, when 2 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm peaks All year; Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed peaks All year; Marsa Alam peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with bluespotted ribbontail rays?
- At Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm from All year, the water is 22 °C to 29 °C, so bring a 5 mm full suit.
- How many places can you dive with bluespotted ribbontail rays?
- besttimetodive.com has bluespotted ribbontail rays on record at 43 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.