The verdict
Best places to dive with grey reef sharks
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos
The most reliable place to dive with grey reef sharks is Palau, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 1 of 10 at peak | February: 0 of 10 at peak | March: 2 of 10 at peak | April: 1 of 10 at peak | May: 1 of 10 at peak | June: 2 of 10 at peak | July: 0 of 10 at peak | August: 2 of 10 at peak | September: 0 of 10 at peak | October: 2 of 10 at peak | November: 0 of 10 at peak | December: 0 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 15,052 OBIS records of grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) within 60 km of 21 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with grey reef sharks
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 | Near-guaranteed | 18 of 27 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 2 | Rowley Shoals | Australia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 9 of 14 years | Liveaboard |
| 3 | Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | Fiji | All year | Near-guaranteed | 13 of 20 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 4 | Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon | Micronesia | May | Near-guaranteed | 6 of 10 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 5 | Tubbataha | Philippines | Mar, Jun | Near-guaranteed | 7 of 11 years | Liveaboard |
| 6 | Rangiroa, French Polynesia | Fr. Polynesia | Apr, Jun, Aug | Likely | 8 of 19 years | Day boat |
| 7 | Cairns | Australia | All year | Likely | 11 of 32 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 8 | Tufi, Papua New Guinea | PNG | Oct | Likely | 2 of 4 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 9 | Bligh Water, Fiji | Fiji | Aug, Oct | Likely | 8 of 17 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
| 10 | Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives | Maldives | Jan, Mar | Likely | 6 of 16 yearsfew records | Day boat |
Also on record at Fakarava, French Polynesia, Ribbon Reefs, Mabul / Kapalai, Sipadan, North & Central Atolls, Maldives, Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat, Ningaloo, SS Yongala, Maui / Molokini, Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia and Seychelles.
When to dive with grey reef sharks
| 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 |
| Rowley Shoals | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon | Jan: Not common | 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 |
| Tubbataha | Jan: Not common | Feb: No survey data | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: No survey data | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Rangiroa, French Polynesia | Jan: Possible | Feb: Not common | Mar: Possible | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Cairns | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Tufi, Papua New Guinea | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
| Bligh Water, Fiji | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | 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 |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Grey reef shark month by month
- January
- The one peak month at Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives.
- February
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Palau.
- March
- The one peak month at Tubbataha. Also good at Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives.
- April
- The one peak month at Rangiroa, French Polynesia.
- May
- The one peak month at Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon.
- June
- The one peak month at Tubbataha. Also good at Rangiroa, French Polynesia.
- July
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Palau.
- August
- The one peak month at Rangiroa, French Polynesia. Also good at Bligh Water, Fiji.
- September
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Palau.
- October
- The one peak month at Tufi, Papua New Guinea. Also good at Bligh Water, Fiji.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Palau.
- December
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Palau.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months grey reef sharks are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palau | All year | 29–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Rowley Shoals | All year | 26–30 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | All year | 26–29 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon | May | 29 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Tubbataha | Mar, Jun | 28–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
What else you'll see with grey reef sharks
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Whitetip reef shark
At Beqa Lagoon, Fiji, Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon and Tubbataha
Whale shark
At Tubbataha, Cairns and Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives
Ocellated eagle ray
At Palau and Rangiroa, French Polynesia
Blacktip reef shark
At Beqa Lagoon, Fiji and Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon
Silvertip shark
At Beqa Lagoon, Fiji and Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon
Napoleon wrasse
At Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon and Tubbataha
Diving with grey reef sharks: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with grey reef sharks?
- The most reliable place to dive with grey reef sharks is Palau, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with grey reef sharks?
- March, June, August, October, when 2 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Palau peaks All year; Rowley Shoals peaks All year; Beqa Lagoon, Fiji peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with grey reef sharks?
- 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 grey reef sharks?
- besttimetodive.com has grey reef sharks on record at 21 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.