Best places to dive with bottlenose dolphins
The most reliable place to dive with bottlenose dolphins is Cornwall, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 0 of 10 at peak | February: 1 of 10 at peak | March: 1 of 10 at peak | April: 0 of 10 at peak | May: 0 of 10 at peak | June: 0 of 10 at peak | July: 0 of 10 at peak | August: 0 of 10 at peak | September: 0 of 10 at peak | October: 0 of 10 at peak | November: 0 of 10 at peak | December: 0 of 10 at peak |
Based on 12,644 OBIS records of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) within 60 km of 85 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with bottlenose dolphins
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornwall | UK | All year | Near-guaranteed | 30 of 32 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 2 | Sardinia | Italy | All year | Near-guaranteed | 25 of 27 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Fiordland | New Zealand | All year | Near-guaranteed | 18 of 20 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Big Island / Kona | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 26 of 30 years | Day boat |
| 5 | Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) | Mexico Caribbean | All year | Near-guaranteed | 23 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 6 | Madeira | Portugal | All year | Near-guaranteed | 22 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 7 | Bocas del Toro | Panama | All year | Near-guaranteed | 19 of 22 years | Day boat |
| 8 | Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Mexico Pacific | Feb–Mar | Near-guaranteed | 27 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 9 | Catalina Island | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 27 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 10 | Cozumel | Mexico Caribbean | All year | Near-guaranteed | 21 of 26 years | Day boat |
Also on record at Tenerife, Canary Islands, Farne Islands, Key Largo, Florida Keys, Santa Maria, Azores, Elba, Sesimbra / Berlengas, Outer Banks, Ireland, French Riviera / Corsica, Galapagos Central, Azores, Scapa Flow, Socorro / Revillagigedo, Rangiroa, French Polynesia, Poor Knights, Cano Island / Drake Bay, Sea of Cortez / La Paz, Costa Brava / Medes, Portofino / Ligurian Sea, La Jolla / San Diego, Puerto Vallarta / Banderas, Guadeloupe, Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos, Oahu, Turneffe, Belize, Channel Islands, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Monterey, Blue Hole / Lighthouse, Belize, Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos, Cocos Island, Byron Bay / Julian Rocks, Key West, Florida Keys, Coiba, Cancun / Riviera Maya, Andros / Nassau, Bahamas, Isla Mujeres, Lord Howe Island, Cabo Pulmo, Gladden Spit, Belize, Kauai / Niihau, Malpelo, Croatia, Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed, Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm, Flower Garden Banks, Maui / Molokini, Mallorca, Abu Dabbab, Marsa Alam, Hurghada, Isla de la Plata, Cabo San Lucas, Nosy Be, El Hierro, Canary Islands, Kas, Zabargad & Rocky Island, Roatan, Guanacaste / Catalinas, St John's / Fury Shoals, Utila, Neptune Islands, Bonaire, Reunion, Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo, Tiger Beach, Bahamas, Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys, British Virgin Islands, Martinique, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Dominica, Bermuda, Gansbaai, Bimini, Bahamas and Cape Town / False Bay.
When to dive with bottlenose dolphins
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Sardinia | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Fiordland | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Big Island / Kona | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| 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 |
| Bocas del Toro | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Jan: Not common | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Catalina Island | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Cozumel | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
Bottlenose dolphin month by month
- January
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cornwall.
- February
- Season starts at Loreto / Sea of Cortez North.
- March
- Last peak month at Loreto / Sea of Cortez North.
- April
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cornwall.
- May
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cornwall.
- June
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cornwall.
- July
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cornwall.
- August
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cornwall.
- September
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cornwall.
- October
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cornwall.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cornwall.
- December
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cornwall.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months bottlenose dolphins are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall | All year | 10–17 °C | Drysuit |
| Sardinia | All year | 14–26 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Fiordland | All year | 12–17 °C | Drysuit |
| Big Island / Kona | All year | 25–27 °C | 3 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with bottlenose dolphins
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Humpback whale
At Cornwall, Big Island / Kona and 2 more
Ocean sunfish
At Cornwall and Catalina Island
Blue shark
At Cornwall and Catalina Island
Sperm whale
At Big Island / Kona and Loreto / Sea of Cortez North
Bull shark
At Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) and Cozumel
Common dolphin
At Madeira and Loreto / Sea of Cortez North
Diving with bottlenose dolphins: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with bottlenose dolphins?
- The most reliable place to dive with bottlenose dolphins is Cornwall, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with bottlenose dolphins?
- February to March, when 1 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Cornwall peaks All year; Sardinia peaks All year; Fiordland peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with bottlenose dolphins?
- At Cornwall from All year, the water is 10 °C to 17 °C, so bring a drysuit.
- How many places can you dive with bottlenose dolphins?
- besttimetodive.com has bottlenose dolphins on record at 85 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.