The verdict
Best places to dive with lemon sharks
Negaprion brevirostris
Your best chance with lemon sharks is Puerto Rico, from All year, though no site we score is a certainty.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 3 of 10 at peak | February: 3 of 10 at peak | March: 1 of 10 at peak | April: 3 of 10 at peak | May: 1 of 10 at peak | June: 2 of 10 at peak | July: 0 of 10 at peak | August: 0 of 10 at peak | September: 1 of 10 at peak | October: 1 of 10 at peak | November: 0 of 10 at peak | December: 1 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 813 OBIS records of lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) within 60 km of 14 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with lemon sharks
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico | All year | Likely | 15 of 28 years | Day boat |
| 2 | Key West, Florida Keys | USA | All year | Likely | 12 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Cape Verde | Cape Verde | All year | Likely | 8 of 23 years | Day boat |
| 4 | British Virgin Islands | BVI | All year | Likely | 10 of 32 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 5 | Tiger Beach, Bahamas | Bahamas | Jan–Mar | Likely | 9 of 30 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
| 6 | St. Croix | USVI | Jun, Sep–Oct | Likely | 10 of 31 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 7 | Fernando de Noronha | Brazil | Dec–Jan, Apr–May | Likely | 8 of 23 years | Day boat |
| 8 | Key Largo, Florida Keys | USA | Feb, Apr | Hit-or-miss | 9 of 32 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 9 | Grand Bahama / Freeport, Bahamas | Bahamas | Jan–Feb, Apr | Hit-or-miss | 6 of 26 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 10 | Andros / Nassau, Bahamas | Bahamas | Jun | Hit-or-miss | 4 of 26 yearsfew records | Day boat |
Also on record at Turks & Caicos, Bimini, Bahamas, Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys and Aruba.
When to dive with lemon sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Key West, Florida Keys | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Cape Verde | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| British Virgin 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 |
| Tiger Beach, Bahamas | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| St. Croix | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Fernando de Noronha | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Peak season |
| Key Largo, Florida Keys | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Grand Bahama / Freeport, Bahamas | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Not common | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Andros / Nassau, Bahamas | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
Peak season Possible Not common
Lemon shark month by month
- January
- Season starts at Tiger Beach, Bahamas. Also good at Fernando de Noronha and Grand Bahama / Freeport, Bahamas.
- February
- The one peak month at Key Largo, Florida Keys. Also good at Tiger Beach, Bahamas and Grand Bahama / Freeport, Bahamas.
- March
- Last peak month at Tiger Beach, Bahamas.
- April
- Season starts at Fernando de Noronha. Also good at Key Largo, Florida Keys and Grand Bahama / Freeport, Bahamas.
- May
- Last peak month at Fernando de Noronha.
- June
- The one peak month at St. Croix. Also good at Andros / Nassau, Bahamas.
- July
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Puerto Rico.
- August
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Puerto Rico.
- September
- Season starts at St. Croix.
- October
- Last peak month at St. Croix.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Puerto Rico.
- December
- Season starts at Fernando de Noronha.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months lemon sharks are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico | All year | 27–30 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Key West, Florida Keys | All year | 24–30 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Cape Verde | All year | 22–27 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| British Virgin Islands | All year | 27–29 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Tiger Beach, Bahamas | Jan–Mar | 25 °C | 5 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with lemon sharks
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Loggerhead turtle
At Cape Verde, Tiger Beach, Bahamas and Key Largo, Florida Keys
Green turtle
At Cape Verde, Key Largo, Florida Keys and Grand Bahama / Freeport, Bahamas
Nurse shark
At Tiger Beach, Bahamas, St. Croix and Fernando de Noronha
Southern stingray
At Tiger Beach, Bahamas, Key Largo, Florida Keys and Grand Bahama / Freeport, Bahamas
Goliath grouper
At Key West, Florida Keys and Key Largo, Florida Keys
Nassau grouper
At Key West, Florida Keys and St. Croix
Diving with lemon sharks: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with lemon sharks?
- Your best chance with lemon sharks is Puerto Rico, from All year, though no site we score is a certainty.
- When is the best time to dive with lemon sharks?
- January to February, April, when 3 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Puerto Rico peaks All year; Key West, Florida Keys peaks All year; Cape Verde peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with lemon sharks?
- At Puerto Rico from All year, the water is 27 °C to 30 °C, so bring a 3 mm full suit.
- How many places can you dive with lemon sharks?
- besttimetodive.com has lemon sharks on record at 14 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.