The verdict
Best places to dive with goliath groupers
Epinephelus itajara
The most reliable place to dive with goliath groupers is Key Largo, Florida Keys, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 3 of 7 at peak | February: 2 of 7 at peak | March: 2 of 7 at peak | April: 2 of 7 at peak | May: 4 of 7 at peak | June: 4 of 7 at peak | July: 3 of 7 at peak | August: 2 of 7 at peak | September: 4 of 7 at peak | October: 2 of 7 at peak | November: 2 of 7 at peak | December: 2 of 7 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak
Based on 10,448 OBIS records of goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara) within 60 km of 7 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with goliath groupers
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Key Largo, Florida Keys | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 22 of 32 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 2 | Key West, Florida Keys | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 22 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico | All year | Likely | 16 of 28 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Jupiter / Palm Beach | USA | All year | Likely | 12 of 29 years | Day boat |
| 5 | Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys | USA | Jan, May–Jul | Likely | 16 of 32 years | Liveaboard |
| 6 | St. Croix | USVI | Jun, Sep | Hit-or-miss | 4 of 31 yearsfew records | Day boat, Shore |
| 7 | Jardines de la Reina | Cuba | May, Sep | Hit-or-miss | 4 of 14 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
When to dive with goliath groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key Largo, Florida Keys | 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 |
| Key West, Florida Keys | 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 |
| Puerto Rico | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Jupiter / Palm Beach | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Not common | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| St. Croix | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Jardines de la Reina | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Peak season | Jun: Possible | Jul: No survey data | Aug: Not common | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: No survey data | Dec: Possible |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Goliath grouper month by month
- January
- The one peak month at Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys. Also good at Key Largo, Florida Keys and Key West, Florida Keys.
- February
- Best at Key Largo, Florida Keys and Key West, Florida Keys.
- March
- Best at Key Largo, Florida Keys and Key West, Florida Keys.
- April
- Best at Key Largo, Florida Keys and Key West, Florida Keys.
- May
- Season starts at Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys. Also good at Jardines de la Reina, Key Largo, Florida Keys and 1 more.
- June
- The one peak month at St. Croix. Also good at Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys, Key Largo, Florida Keys and 1 more.
- July
- Last peak month at Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys. Also good at Key Largo, Florida Keys and Key West, Florida Keys.
- August
- Best at Key Largo, Florida Keys and Key West, Florida Keys.
- September
- The one peak month at St. Croix. Also good at Jardines de la Reina, Key Largo, Florida Keys and 1 more.
- October
- Best at Key Largo, Florida Keys and Key West, Florida Keys.
- November
- Best at Key Largo, Florida Keys and Key West, Florida Keys.
- December
- Best at Key Largo, Florida Keys and Key West, Florida Keys.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months goliath groupers are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key Largo, Florida Keys | All year | 24–31 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Key West, Florida Keys | All year | 24–30 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Puerto Rico | All year | 27–30 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Jupiter / Palm Beach | All year | 24–30 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys | Jan, May–Jul | 24–30 °C | 5 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with goliath groupers
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Nassau grouper
At Key Largo, Florida Keys, Key West, Florida Keys and 2 more
Manatee
At Key Largo, Florida Keys, Key West, Florida Keys and Jupiter / Palm Beach
Southern stingray
At Key Largo, Florida Keys, Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys and Jardines de la Reina
Bottlenose dolphin
At Key Largo, Florida Keys and Key West, Florida Keys
Loggerhead turtle
At Key Largo, Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys
Nurse shark
At Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys and St. Croix
Diving with goliath groupers: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with goliath groupers?
- The most reliable place to dive with goliath groupers is Key Largo, Florida Keys, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with goliath groupers?
- May to June, September, when 4 of the 7 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Key Largo, Florida Keys peaks All year; Key West, Florida Keys peaks All year; Puerto Rico peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with goliath groupers?
- At Key Largo, Florida Keys from All year, the water is 24 °C to 31 °C, so bring a 5 mm full suit.
- How many places can you dive with goliath groupers?
- besttimetodive.com has goliath groupers on record at 7 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.