The verdict
Best places to dive with California sea lions
Zalophus californianus
The most reliable place to dive with California sea lions is Catalina Island, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 8 of 10 at peak | February: 8 of 10 at peak | March: 10 of 10 at peak | April: 10 of 10 at peak | May: 7 of 10 at peak | June: 7 of 10 at peak | July: 7 of 10 at peak | August: 7 of 10 at peak | September: 7 of 10 at peak | October: 7 of 10 at peak | November: 8 of 10 at peak | December: 7 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak
Based on 9,074 OBIS records of California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) within 60 km of 12 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with California sea lions
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalina Island | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 32 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 2 | Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Mexico Pacific | Feb–Apr | Near-guaranteed | 29 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 3 | La Jolla / San Diego | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 29 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 4 | Sea of Cortez / La Paz | Mexico Pacific | All year | Near-guaranteed | 25 of 30 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 5 | Cabo San Lucas | Mexico Pacific | All year | Near-guaranteed | 23 of 29 years | Day boat |
| 6 | Channel Islands | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 25 of 32 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 7 | Monterey | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 23 of 32 years | Shore |
| 8 | Puget Sound | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 18 of 26 years | Shore |
| 9 | Cabo Pulmo | Mexico Pacific | Jan, Mar–Apr, Nov | Likely | 15 of 27 years | Day boat |
| 10 | Alaska | USA | Mar–Apr | Likely | 9 of 30 yearsfew records | Day boat |
Also on record at Puerto Vallarta / Banderas and Guadalupe Island.
When to dive with California sea lions
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina Island | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| La Jolla / San Diego | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Sea of Cortez / La Paz | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Cabo San Lucas | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Channel Islands | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Monterey | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Puget Sound | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Cabo Pulmo | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Possible |
| Alaska | Jan: Not common | 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: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common
California sea lion month by month
- January
- The one peak month at Cabo Pulmo. Also good at Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 5 more.
- February
- Season starts at Loreto / Sea of Cortez North. Also good at Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 5 more.
- March
- Season starts at Cabo Pulmo. Also good at Loreto / Sea of Cortez North, Alaska and 7 more.
- April
- Last peak month at Loreto / Sea of Cortez North. Also good at Cabo Pulmo, Alaska and 7 more.
- May
- Best at Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 5 more.
- June
- Best at Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 5 more.
- July
- Best at Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 5 more.
- August
- Best at Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 5 more.
- September
- Best at Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 5 more.
- October
- Best at Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 5 more.
- November
- The one peak month at Cabo Pulmo. Also good at Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 5 more.
- December
- Best at Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 5 more.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months California sea lions are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina Island | All year | 15–21 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Feb–Apr | 19–22 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
| La Jolla / San Diego | All year | 15–22 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Sea of Cortez / La Paz | All year | 21–29 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
| Cabo San Lucas | All year | 22–29 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
What else you'll see with California sea lions
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Grey whale
At Catalina Island, Loreto / Sea of Cortez North and 6 more
Blue whale
At Catalina Island, Loreto / Sea of Cortez North and 3 more
Humpback whale
At Loreto / Sea of Cortez North, Sea of Cortez / La Paz and 3 more
Sardine
At Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 2 more
Ocean sunfish
At Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 2 more
Orca
At Catalina Island, Loreto / Sea of Cortez North and Monterey
Diving with California sea lions: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with California sea lions?
- The most reliable place to dive with California sea lions is Catalina Island, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with California sea lions?
- March to April, when 10 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Catalina Island peaks All year; Loreto / Sea of Cortez North peaks February to April; La Jolla / San Diego peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with California sea lions?
- At Catalina Island from All year, the water is 15 °C to 21 °C, so bring a 7 mm semi-dry.
- How many places can you dive with California sea lions?
- besttimetodive.com has California sea lions on record at 12 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.