Best places to dive with hawksbill turtles
The most reliable place to dive with hawksbill turtles is Lombok, 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 7,038 OBIS records of hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) within 60 km of 116 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with hawksbill turtles
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lombok | Indonesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 18 of 19 years | Day boat |
| 2 | Seychelles | Seychelles | All year | Near-guaranteed | 20 of 22 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Gili Islands | Indonesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 18 of 20 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) | Mexico Caribbean | All year | Near-guaranteed | 23 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 5 | Cozumel | Mexico Caribbean | All year | Near-guaranteed | 23 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 6 | North & Central Atolls, Maldives | Maldives | All year | Near-guaranteed | 20 of 23 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 7 | Tulamben / Amed | Indonesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 18 of 21 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 8 | Anilao | Philippines | All year | Near-guaranteed | 16 of 19 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 9 | Puerto Galera | Philippines | All year | Near-guaranteed | 16 of 19 years | Day boat |
| 10 | Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed | Red Sea | All year | Near-guaranteed | 21 of 28 years | Day boat |
Also on record at Nusa Penida, Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat, Oslob, Roatan, Abu Dabbab, Marsa Alam, Misool, Raja Ampat, Nosy Be, Utila, Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm, Puerto Rico, Komodo North, Komodo South, Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives, Cancun / Riviera Maya, Apo Island, Dumaguete / Dauin, St. Croix, Bonaire, Statia (St. Eustatius), Coiba, El Quseir, Hurghada, Saba, Mabul / Kapalai, Nuweiba / Ras Abu Galum, Guanaja, East (Trincomalee), Sri Lanka, Banda Sea, British Virgin Islands, Palau, Bohol / Panglao, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Safaga, Sipadan, Barbados, Koh Phi Phi, Cairns, Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia, Cano Island / Drake Bay, Isla Mujeres, Aruba, Tubbataha, Turneffe, Belize, Guadeloupe, Gladden Spit, Belize, Dahab, Menjangan, Curacao, Guanacaste / Catalinas, Moalboal, Bunaken, Wayag / North, Raja Ampat, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands, Byron Bay / Julian Rocks, Okinawa, Blue Hole / Lighthouse, Belize, Eilat, Aqaba, Sea of Cortez / La Paz, Lembeh Strait, Bligh Water, Fiji, Big Island / Kona, Palawan / El Nido, Mauritius, Coron, Southern Leyte, Tobago, Musandam, Daedalus Reef, Tioman, Phuket, Turks & Caicos, Taveuni, Fiji, Key Largo, Florida Keys, Wakatobi, Similan Islands, SS Yongala, Redang, Brothers Islands, Zabargad & Rocky Island, Oahu, Daymaniyat Islands, Watamu, Fuvahmulah, South (Addu / Laamu), Maldives, St. Kitts & Nevis, Perhentian, Lord Howe Island, Cook Islands, Aliwal Shoal, Martinique, Puerto Vallarta / Banderas, Dominica, Reunion, Rangiroa, French Polynesia, Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos, Alor, Koh Tao, Beqa Lagoon, Fiji, Richelieu Rock, Isla de la Plata, Fernando de Noronha, Loreto / Sea of Cortez North, Cabo Pulmo and West (Hikkaduwa), Sri Lanka.
When to dive with hawksbill turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Seychelles | 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 |
| 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 |
| North & Central Atolls, Maldives | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Tulamben / Amed | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Anilao | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Puerto Galera | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
Hawksbill turtle month by month
- January
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Lombok.
- February
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Lombok.
- March
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Lombok.
- April
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Lombok.
- May
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Lombok.
- June
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Lombok.
- July
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Lombok.
- August
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Lombok.
- September
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Lombok.
- October
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Lombok.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Lombok.
- December
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Lombok.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months hawksbill turtles are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lombok | All year | 28–29 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Seychelles | All year | 26–30 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Gili Islands | All year | 28–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Cozumel | All year | 27–30 °C | 3 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with hawksbill turtles
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Reef manta
At Lombok, North & Central Atolls, Maldives and Tulamben / Amed
Ocellated eagle ray
At Lombok, Tulamben / Amed and Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed
Bump-head sunfish
At Lombok and Tulamben / Amed
Bumphead parrotfish
At Seychelles and Gili Islands
Napoleon wrasse
At Gili Islands and North & Central Atolls, Maldives
Bigeye trevally
At Gili Islands and Tulamben / Amed
Diving with hawksbill turtles: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with hawksbill turtles?
- The most reliable place to dive with hawksbill turtles is Lombok, from All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with hawksbill turtles?
- At Lombok from All year, the water is 28 °C to 29 °C, so bring a skin or 3 mm shorty.
- How many places can you dive with hawksbill turtles?
- besttimetodive.com has hawksbill turtles on record at 116 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.