Best places to dive with green turtles
The most reliable place to dive with green turtles is Big Island / Kona, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 0 of 10 at peak | February: 0 of 10 at peak | March: 0 of 10 at peak | April: 0 of 10 at peak | May: 0 of 10 at peak | June: 0 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: 0 of 10 at peak |
Based on 25,937 OBIS records of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) within 60 km of 137 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with green turtles
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Island / Kona | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 30 of 30 years | Day boat |
| 2 | Oahu | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 28 of 29 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 3 | Mabul / Kapalai | Malaysia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 22 of 23 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Sipadan | Malaysia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 22 of 23 years | Day boat |
| 5 | Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) | Mexico Caribbean | All year | Near-guaranteed | 24 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 6 | Cozumel | Mexico Caribbean | All year | Near-guaranteed | 24 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 7 | Easter Island (Rapa Nui) | Chile | All year | Near-guaranteed | 12 of 13 years | Day boat |
| 8 | Barbados | Caribbean | All year | Near-guaranteed | 19 of 21 years | Day boat |
| 9 | Lombok | Indonesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 17 of 19 years | Day boat |
| 10 | Gili Islands | Indonesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 17 of 20 years | Day boat |
Also on record at Bohol / Panglao, Oslob, West (Hikkaduwa), Sri Lanka, Byron Bay / Julian Rocks, Tulamben / Amed, Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos, Cancun / Riviera Maya, Abu Dabbab, British Virgin Islands, Maui / Molokini, Redang, Cairns, Isla Mujeres, Marsa Alam, Apo Island, Dumaguete / Dauin, Moalboal, Zenobia, Kauai / Niihau, Bunaken, Bonaire, Saba, Statia (St. Eustatius), Anilao, Puerto Galera, Okinawa, Zanzibar, Fernando de Noronha, Ribbon Reefs, Aruba, Turks & Caicos, Derawan / Sangalaki, Musandam, Green Island, Turneffe, Belize, Curacao, St. Kitts & Nevis, Coron, Al Shaheen, Galapagos Central, Perhentian, Coiba, Lembeh Strait, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Cabo Pulmo, Bermuda, Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives, Catalina Island, Guanacaste / Catalinas, Cook Islands, Daymaniyat Islands, St. Croix, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Martinique, Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia, Outer Banks, Sea of Cortez / La Paz, Komodo North, Komodo South, Nosy Be, Palau, Koh Tao, Nusa Penida, Cano Island / Drake Bay, Key Largo, Florida Keys, Guadeloupe, Andros / Nassau, Bahamas, North & Central Atolls, Maldives, El Quseir, Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat, Utila, Ningaloo, Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos, La Jolla / San Diego, Key West, Florida Keys, Watamu, Reunion, Similan Islands, Mauritius, Palawan / El Nido, Southern Leyte, Andaman Islands, Wayag / North, Raja Ampat, Isla de la Plata, Puerto Vallarta / Banderas, Roatan, Kas, Cape Verde, Menjangan, Exumas, Bahamas, Blue Hole / Lighthouse, Belize, Misool, Raja Ampat, SS Yongala, Grand Bahama / Freeport, Bahamas, Wakatobi, Tubbataha, Vanuatu, Guanaja, Tobago, Comoros, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands, Malapascua, Grenada, Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys, Loreto / Sea of Cortez North, Seychelles, Jupiter / Palm Beach, Lord Howe Island, Puget Sound, Aliwal Shoal, Rowley Shoals, Gladden Spit, Belize, Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed, Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm, Jamaica, St John's / Fury Shoals, Bimini, Bahamas, Safaga, Tioman, Hurghada, Poor Knights, Tiger Beach, Bahamas, Ponta do Ouro, Dominica, Dahab, Nuweiba / Ras Abu Galum and Richelieu Rock.
When to dive with green turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Island / Kona | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Oahu | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Mabul / Kapalai | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Sipadan | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Cozumel | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Easter Island (Rapa Nui) | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Barbados | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Lombok | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Gili 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 |
Green turtle month by month
- January
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Big Island / Kona.
- February
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Big Island / Kona.
- March
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Big Island / Kona.
- April
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Big Island / Kona.
- May
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Big Island / Kona.
- June
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Big Island / Kona.
- July
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Big Island / Kona.
- August
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Big Island / Kona.
- September
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Big Island / Kona.
- October
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Big Island / Kona.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Big Island / Kona.
- December
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Big Island / Kona.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months green turtles are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Island / Kona | All year | 25–27 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Oahu | All year | 25–27 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Mabul / Kapalai | All year | 29–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Sipadan | All year | 29–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
What else you'll see with green turtles
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Diving with green turtles: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with green turtles?
- The most reliable place to dive with green turtles is Big Island / Kona, from All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with green turtles?
- At Big Island / Kona from All year, the water is 25 °C to 27 °C, so bring a 3 mm full suit.
- How many places can you dive with green turtles?
- besttimetodive.com has green turtles on record at 137 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.