The verdict
Best places to dive with bull sharks
Carcharhinus leucas
The most reliable place to dive with bull sharks is Beqa Lagoon, Fiji, from March, May, July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 4 of 10 at peak | February: 5 of 10 at peak | March: 3 of 10 at peak | April: 3 of 10 at peak | May: 1 of 10 at peak | June: 0 of 10 at peak | July: 1 of 10 at peak | August: 0 of 10 at peak | September: 0 of 10 at peak | October: 0 of 10 at peak | November: 3 of 10 at peak | December: 1 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 7,430 OBIS records of bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) within 60 km of 17 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with bull sharks
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | Fiji | Mar, May, Jul | Near-guaranteed | 14 of 20 years | Day boat |
| 2 | Cozumel | Mexico Caribbean | Jan–Feb, Nov | Near-guaranteed | 16 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) | Mexico Caribbean | Jan–Feb, Nov | Likely | 15 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Cancun / Riviera Maya | Mexico Caribbean | Jan–Feb, Nov | Likely | 15 of 27 years | Day boat |
| 5 | Cabo Pulmo | Mexico Pacific | All year | Likely | 14 of 27 years | Day boat |
| 6 | Ponta do Ouro | Mozambique | All year | Likely | 12 of 24 years | Day boat |
| 7 | Sardine Run | South Africa | Feb–Apr | Likely | 6 of 17 years | Day boat |
| 8 | Bimini, Bahamas | Bahamas | All year | Likely | 9 of 29 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 9 | Byron Bay / Julian Rocks | Australia | Dec–Feb, Apr | Hit-or-miss | 9 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 10 | Protea Banks | South Africa | Mar–Apr | Hit-or-miss | 7 of 26 years | Day boat |
Also on record at Aliwal Shoal, SS Yongala, Key Largo, Florida Keys, Coiba, Key West, Florida Keys, Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys and Guanacaste / Catalinas.
When to dive with bull sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Peak season | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
| Cozumel | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Possible |
| Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Possible |
| Cancun / Riviera Maya | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Possible |
| Cabo Pulmo | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Ponta do Ouro | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Sardine Run | Jan: Not common | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Bimini, Bahamas | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Byron Bay / Julian Rocks | 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: Peak season |
| Protea Banks | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
Peak season Possible Not common
Bull shark month by month
- January
- Season starts at Cozumel. Also good at Cenotes (Tulum / Playa), Cancun / Riviera Maya and 1 more.
- February
- Season starts at Sardine Run. Also good at Cozumel, Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) and 2 more.
- March
- The one peak month at Beqa Lagoon, Fiji. Also good at Sardine Run and Protea Banks.
- April
- The one peak month at Byron Bay / Julian Rocks. Also good at Sardine Run and Protea Banks.
- May
- The one peak month at Beqa Lagoon, Fiji.
- June
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Beqa Lagoon, Fiji.
- July
- The one peak month at Beqa Lagoon, Fiji.
- August
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Beqa Lagoon, Fiji.
- September
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Beqa Lagoon, Fiji.
- October
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cabo Pulmo.
- November
- The one peak month at Cozumel. Also good at Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) and Cancun / Riviera Maya.
- December
- Season starts at Byron Bay / Julian Rocks.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months bull sharks are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | Mar, May, Jul | 26–29 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Cozumel | Jan–Feb, Nov | 27–29 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Cancun / Riviera Maya | Jan–Feb, Nov | 27–28 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Cabo Pulmo | All year | 22–30 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
What else you'll see with bull sharks
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Diving with bull sharks: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with bull sharks?
- The most reliable place to dive with bull sharks is Beqa Lagoon, Fiji, from March, May, July.
- When is the best time to dive with bull sharks?
- February, when 5 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Beqa Lagoon, Fiji peaks March, May, July; Cozumel peaks January to February, November; Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) peaks January to February, November.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with bull sharks?
- At Beqa Lagoon, Fiji from March, May, July, the water is 26 °C to 29 °C, so bring a 3 mm full suit.
- How many places can you dive with bull sharks?
- besttimetodive.com has bull sharks on record at 17 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.