The verdict
Best places to dive with great hammerheads
Sphyrna mokarran
Your best chance with great hammerheads is Bimini, Bahamas, from January to February, though no site we score is a certainty.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 1 of 7 at peak | February: 3 of 7 at peak | March: 0 of 7 at peak | April: 1 of 7 at peak | May: 2 of 7 at peak | June: 0 of 7 at peak | July: 2 of 7 at peak | August: 0 of 7 at peak | September: 1 of 7 at peak | October: 0 of 7 at peak | November: 1 of 7 at peak | December: 1 of 7 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 472 OBIS records of great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) within 60 km of 7 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with great hammerheads
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bimini, Bahamas | Bahamas | Jan–Feb | Likely | 9 of 29 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 2 | SS Yongala | Australia | May, Jul | Hit-or-miss | 4 of 27 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Key West, Florida Keys | USA | Feb | Hit-or-miss | 7 of 32 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 4 | Cairns | Australia | Dec | Hit-or-miss | 2 of 32 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 5 | Key Largo, Florida Keys | USA | Feb | Hit-or-miss | 4 of 32 yearsfew records | Day boat, Shore |
| 6 | Lord Howe Island | Australia | Jul, Nov | Hit-or-miss | 2 of 18 years | Day boat |
| 7 | Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands | Caribbean | Apr–May, Sep | Hit-or-miss | 3 of 31 yearsfew records | Day boat, Shore |
When to dive with great hammerheads
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bimini, Bahamas | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
| SS Yongala | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Key West, Florida Keys | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
| Cairns | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Peak season |
| Key Largo, Florida Keys | Jan: No survey data | Feb: Peak season | Mar: No survey data | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Lord Howe Island | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Not common |
| Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Possible | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Great hammerhead month by month
- January
- Season starts at Bimini, Bahamas.
- February
- The one peak month at Key West, Florida Keys. Also good at Bimini, Bahamas and Key Largo, Florida Keys.
- March
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Bimini, Bahamas.
- April
- Season starts at Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
- May
- The one peak month at SS Yongala. Also good at Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
- June
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is SS Yongala.
- July
- The one peak month at SS Yongala. Also good at Lord Howe Island.
- August
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Lord Howe Island.
- September
- The one peak month at Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
- October
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Lord Howe Island.
- November
- The one peak month at Lord Howe Island.
- December
- The one peak month at Cairns.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months great hammerheads are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bimini, Bahamas | Jan–Feb | 25 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| SS Yongala | May, Jul | 23–26 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Key West, Florida Keys | Feb | 24 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Cairns | Dec | 29 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Key Largo, Florida Keys | Feb | 25 °C | 5 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with great hammerheads
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Bottlenose dolphin
At Key West, Florida Keys, Key Largo, Florida Keys and Lord Howe Island
Green turtle
At SS Yongala and Key Largo, Florida Keys
Goliath grouper
At Key West, Florida Keys and Key Largo, Florida Keys
Manatee
At Key West, Florida Keys and Key Largo, Florida Keys
Napoleon wrasse
At SS Yongala
Southern stingray
At Key Largo, Florida Keys
Diving with great hammerheads: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with great hammerheads?
- Your best chance with great hammerheads is Bimini, Bahamas, from January to February, though no site we score is a certainty.
- When is the best time to dive with great hammerheads?
- February, when 3 of the 7 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Bimini, Bahamas peaks January to February; SS Yongala peaks May, July; Key West, Florida Keys peaks February.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with great hammerheads?
- At Bimini, Bahamas from January to February, the water is 25 °C to 25 °C, so bring a 3 mm full suit.
- How many places can you dive with great hammerheads?
- besttimetodive.com has great hammerheads on record at 7 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.