The verdict
Best places to dive with camouflage groupers
Epinephelus polyphekadion
Your best chance with camouflage groupers is Palau, from All year, though no site we score is a certainty.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 1 of 10 at peak | February: 1 of 10 at peak | March: 3 of 10 at peak | April: 1 of 10 at peak | May: 2 of 10 at peak | June: 4 of 10 at peak | July: 2 of 10 at peak | August: 1 of 10 at peak | September: 2 of 10 at peak | October: 0 of 10 at peak | November: 4 of 10 at peak | December: 3 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 213 OBIS records of camouflage grouper (Epinephelus polyphekadion) within 60 km of 10 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with camouflage groupers
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palau | Micronesia | All year | Likely | 10 of 27 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 2 | Fakarava, French Polynesia | Fr. Polynesia | Jan, Mar, Jun, Nov | Likely | 10 of 18 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 3 | Ribbon Reefs | Australia | Apr, Jun, Nov | Likely | 12 of 32 years | Liveaboard |
| 4 | Taveuni, Fiji | Fiji | May–Jun, Sep, Nov | Likely | 7 of 14 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 5 | Tubbataha | Philippines | Mar, Jun | Likely | 4 of 11 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
| 6 | Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | Fiji | Jul, Sep | Hit-or-miss | 4 of 20 years | Day boat |
| 7 | North & Central Atolls, Maldives | Maldives | Feb, Nov–Dec | Hit-or-miss | 6 of 23 yearsfew records | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 8 | Yap | Micronesia | May, Dec | Hit-or-miss | 2 of 9 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 9 | Rangiroa, French Polynesia | Fr. Polynesia | Mar, Jul | Hit-or-miss | 5 of 19 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 10 | Cairns | Australia | Aug, Dec | Hit-or-miss | 6 of 32 yearsfew records | Liveaboard, Day boat |
When to dive with camouflage groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palau | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Fakarava, French Polynesia | Jan: Peak season | Feb: No survey data | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Not common |
| Ribbon Reefs | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Not common | Apr: Peak season | May: Not common | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Possible |
| Taveuni, Fiji | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: No survey data | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Possible |
| Tubbataha | Jan: Not common | Feb: No survey data | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Peak season | Jul: No survey data | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Not common | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| North & Central Atolls, Maldives | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Possible | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Yap | Jan: Possible | Feb: No survey data | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Peak season | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: No survey data | Dec: Peak season |
| Rangiroa, French Polynesia | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Not common | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Cairns | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Not common | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Peak season |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Camouflage grouper month by month
- January
- The one peak month at Fakarava, French Polynesia.
- February
- The one peak month at North & Central Atolls, Maldives.
- March
- The one peak month at Fakarava, French Polynesia. Also good at Tubbataha and Rangiroa, French Polynesia.
- April
- The one peak month at Ribbon Reefs.
- May
- Season starts at Taveuni, Fiji. Also good at Yap.
- June
- The one peak month at Fakarava, French Polynesia. Also good at Ribbon Reefs, Taveuni, Fiji and 1 more.
- July
- The one peak month at Beqa Lagoon, Fiji. Also good at Rangiroa, French Polynesia.
- August
- The one peak month at Cairns.
- September
- The one peak month at Taveuni, Fiji. Also good at Beqa Lagoon, Fiji.
- October
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Palau.
- November
- The one peak month at Fakarava, French Polynesia. Also good at Ribbon Reefs, Taveuni, Fiji and 1 more.
- December
- The one peak month at Yap. Also good at North & Central Atolls, Maldives and Cairns.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months camouflage groupers are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palau | All year | 29–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Fakarava, French Polynesia | Jan, Mar, Jun, Nov | 28–29 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Ribbon Reefs | Apr, Jun, Nov | 26–28 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Taveuni, Fiji | May–Jun, Sep, Nov | 26–28 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Tubbataha | Mar, Jun | 28–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
What else you'll see with camouflage groupers
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Napoleon wrasse
At Fakarava, French Polynesia, Tubbataha and 2 more
Whitetip reef shark
At Fakarava, French Polynesia, Tubbataha and Yap
Reef manta
At Palau and North & Central Atolls, Maldives
Ocellated eagle ray
At Palau and Rangiroa, French Polynesia
Bigeye trevally
At Ribbon Reefs and Tubbataha
Hawksbill turtle
At Taveuni, Fiji and Tubbataha
Diving with camouflage groupers: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with camouflage groupers?
- Your best chance with camouflage groupers is Palau, from All year, though no site we score is a certainty.
- When is the best time to dive with camouflage groupers?
- June, November, when 4 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Palau peaks All year; Fakarava, French Polynesia peaks January, March, June, November; Ribbon Reefs peaks April, June, November.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with camouflage groupers?
- At Palau from All year, the water is 29 °C to 30 °C, so bring a skin or 3 mm shorty.
- How many places can you dive with camouflage groupers?
- besttimetodive.com has camouflage groupers on record at 10 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.