Best places to dive with humpback whales
The most reliable place to dive with humpback whales is Cano Island / Drake Bay, from July to September.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 2 of 10 at peak | February: 3 of 10 at peak | March: 2 of 10 at peak | April: 0 of 10 at peak | May: 0 of 10 at peak | June: 1 of 10 at peak | July: 5 of 10 at peak | August: 4 of 10 at peak | September: 5 of 10 at peak | October: 0 of 10 at peak | November: 0 of 10 at peak | December: 1 of 10 at peak |
Based on 76,983 OBIS records of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) within 60 km of 75 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with humpback whales
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cano Island / Drake Bay | Costa Rica | Jul–Sep | Near-guaranteed | 30 of 30 years | Day boat |
| 2 | Newfoundland | Canada | Jul | Near-guaranteed | 29 of 29 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Puerto Vallarta / Banderas | Mexico Pacific | Dec–Feb | Near-guaranteed | 31 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Monterey | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 31 of 32 years | Shore |
| 5 | Maui / Molokini | USA | Jan–Mar | Near-guaranteed | 30 of 31 years | Day boat |
| 6 | Tonga | Tonga | Aug–Sep | Near-guaranteed | 29 of 30 years | Day boat |
| 7 | Silver Bank | Dominican Rep. | Feb–Mar | Near-guaranteed | 24 of 25 years | Liveaboard |
| 8 | Isla de la Plata | Ecuador | Jul–Sep | Near-guaranteed | 28 of 30 years | Day boat |
| 9 | Reunion | Reunion | Jul–Sep | Near-guaranteed | 26 of 28 years | Day boat |
| 10 | Byron Bay / Julian Rocks | Australia | Jun–Jul, Sep | Near-guaranteed | 29 of 32 years | Day boat |
Also on record at Silfra, Loreto / Sea of Cortez North, Kauai / Niihau, Cabo Pulmo, Big Island / Kona, Cabo San Lucas, Bermuda, Sardine Run, Oahu, Vancouver Island, Channel Islands, Catalina Island, Ningaloo, Okinawa, Ponta do Ouro, Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia, La Jolla / San Diego, Cape Verde, Alaska, Guanacaste / Catalinas, Scapa Flow, Cape Town / False Bay, Gansbaai, Sea of Cortez / La Paz, Puget Sound, Cook Islands, Guadeloupe, Aliwal Shoal, Tofo, Galapagos Central, Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo, Cornwall, Lofoten / Skjervoy orcas, Tasmania, Coiba, Cairns, Mauritius, Martinique, Madeira, Nosy Be, Azores, Dominica, Turks & Caicos, Sao Tome, Saba, Zanzibar, Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos, Socorro / Revillagigedo, Comoros, Puerto Rico, British Virgin Islands, Neptune Islands, Protea Banks, Statia (St. Eustatius), St. Lucia, Guadalupe Island, SS Yongala, Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos, St. Croix, Farne Islands, Poor Knights, Fiordland, Outer Banks, Malpelo and Peninsula Valdes.
When to dive with humpback whales
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cano Island / Drake Bay | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Newfoundland | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Puerto Vallarta / Banderas | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | 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 |
| Monterey | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Maui / Molokini | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Tonga | Jan: Not common | Feb: No survey data | Mar: Not common | Apr: No survey data | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Silver Bank | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Isla de la Plata | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Reunion | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Byron Bay / Julian Rocks | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
Humpback whale month by month
- January
- Season starts at Maui / Molokini. Also good at Puerto Vallarta / Banderas.
- February
- Season starts at Silver Bank. Also good at Puerto Vallarta / Banderas and Maui / Molokini.
- March
- Last peak month at Maui / Molokini. Also good at Silver Bank.
- April
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Monterey.
- May
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Monterey.
- June
- Season starts at Byron Bay / Julian Rocks.
- July
- Season starts at Cano Island / Drake Bay. Also good at Newfoundland, Isla de la Plata and 2 more.
- August
- Season starts at Tonga. Also good at Cano Island / Drake Bay, Isla de la Plata and 1 more.
- September
- The one peak month at Byron Bay / Julian Rocks. Also good at Cano Island / Drake Bay, Tonga and 2 more.
- October
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cano Island / Drake Bay.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Monterey.
- December
- Season starts at Puerto Vallarta / Banderas.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months humpback whales are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cano Island / Drake Bay | Jul–Sep | 29 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Newfoundland | Jul | 12 °C | Drysuit |
| Puerto Vallarta / Banderas | Dec–Feb | 25–27 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Monterey | All year | 12–16 °C | Drysuit |
| Maui / Molokini | Jan–Mar | 25 °C | 3 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with humpback whales
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Diving with humpback whales: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with humpback whales?
- The most reliable place to dive with humpback whales is Cano Island / Drake Bay, from July to September.
- When is the best time to dive with humpback whales?
- July, September, when 5 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Cano Island / Drake Bay peaks July to September; Newfoundland peaks July; Puerto Vallarta / Banderas peaks December to February.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with humpback whales?
- At Cano Island / Drake Bay from July to September, the water is 29 °C to 29 °C, so bring a skin or 3 mm shorty.
- How many places can you dive with humpback whales?
- besttimetodive.com has humpback whales on record at 75 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.