The verdict
Best places to dive with common dolphins
Delphinus delphis
The most reliable place to dive with common dolphins is Cornwall, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 1 of 10 at peak | February: 2 of 10 at peak | March: 2 of 10 at peak | April: 1 of 10 at peak | May: 2 of 10 at peak | June: 1 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: 1 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 8,041 OBIS records of common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) within 60 km of 32 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with common 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 | 32 of 32 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 2 | Catalina Island | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 31 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 3 | La Jolla / San Diego | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 29 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 4 | Sesimbra / Berlengas | Portugal | All year | Near-guaranteed | 21 of 23 years | Day boat |
| 5 | Scapa Flow | Scotland | All year | Near-guaranteed | 27 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 6 | Channel Islands | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 27 of 32 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 7 | Madeira | Portugal | Jan–Apr | Near-guaranteed | 20 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 8 | Azores | Portugal | May | Near-guaranteed | 21 of 28 years | Day boat |
| 9 | Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Mexico Pacific | Feb–Mar | Near-guaranteed | 22 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 10 | Santa Maria, Azores | Portugal | May–Jun, Dec | Near-guaranteed | 22 of 26 years | Day boat |
Also on record at Neptune Islands, Sea of Cortez / La Paz, Cape Town / False Bay, Poor Knights, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Sardine Run, French Riviera / Corsica, Ireland, Cabo San Lucas, Farne Islands, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos, Cabo Pulmo, Portofino / Ligurian Sea, Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos, Byron Bay / Julian Rocks, Gansbaai, Monterey, Sardinia, Malpelo and Galapagos Central.
When to dive with common 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 |
| 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 |
| La Jolla / San Diego | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Sesimbra / Berlengas | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Scapa Flow | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Channel Islands | 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: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Not common | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Azores | Jan: No survey data | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Jan: Not common | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Not common | Aug: Possible | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Santa Maria, Azores | Jan: No survey data | Feb: Not common | Mar: No survey data | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Peak season |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Common dolphin month by month
- January
- Season starts at Madeira.
- February
- Season starts at Loreto / Sea of Cortez North. Also good at Madeira.
- March
- Last peak month at Loreto / Sea of Cortez North. Also good at Madeira.
- April
- Last peak month at Madeira.
- May
- The one peak month at Azores. Also good at Santa Maria, Azores.
- June
- Last peak month at Santa Maria, Azores.
- 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
- The one peak month at Santa Maria, Azores.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months common dolphins are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall | All year | 10–17 °C | Drysuit |
| Catalina Island | All year | 15–21 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| La Jolla / San Diego | All year | 15–22 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Sesimbra / Berlengas | All year | 15–19 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Scapa Flow | All year | 7–13 °C | Drysuit |
What else you'll see with common dolphins
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Ocean sunfish
At Cornwall, Catalina Island and 3 more
Blue whale
At Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 3 more
California sea lion
At Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 2 more
Grey whale
At Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 2 more
Bottlenose dolphin
At Channel Islands, Azores and 2 more
Humpback whale
At Cornwall, Madeira and Loreto / Sea of Cortez North
Diving with common dolphins: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with common dolphins?
- The most reliable place to dive with common dolphins is Cornwall, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with common dolphins?
- February to March, May, when 2 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Cornwall peaks All year; Catalina Island peaks All year; La Jolla / San Diego peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with common 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 common dolphins?
- besttimetodive.com has common dolphins on record at 32 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.