The verdict
Best places to dive with loggerhead turtles
Caretta caretta
The most reliable place to dive with loggerhead turtles is Outer Banks, 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: 2 of 10 at peak | June: 2 of 10 at peak | July: 4 of 10 at peak | August: 3 of 10 at peak | September: 2 of 10 at peak | October: 0 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 6,635 OBIS records of loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) within 60 km of 54 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with loggerhead turtles
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Outer Banks | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 29 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 2 | Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) | Mexico Caribbean | All year | Near-guaranteed | 23 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Cozumel | Mexico Caribbean | All year | Near-guaranteed | 23 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Greece | Greece | Jun–Aug | Near-guaranteed | 14 of 16 years | Day boat |
| 5 | Kas | Turkey | May, Jul, Sep | Near-guaranteed | 14 of 16 years | Day boat |
| 6 | Madeira | Portugal | All year | Near-guaranteed | 22 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 7 | Azores | Portugal | May | Near-guaranteed | 21 of 28 years | Day boat |
| 8 | Cape Verde | Cape Verde | Jul–Sep | Near-guaranteed | 17 of 23 years | Day boat |
| 9 | Santa Maria, Azores | Portugal | Jun–Aug | Near-guaranteed | 18 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 10 | Gran Canaria, Canary Islands | Spain | All year | Near-guaranteed | 14 of 21 yearsfew records | Day boat, Shore |
Also on record at Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys, Croatia, Zenobia, Key West, Florida Keys, Ponta do Ouro, Cancun / Riviera Maya, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Byron Bay / Julian Rocks, Sardinia, Ibiza / Formentera, Portofino / Ligurian Sea, Malta / Gozo, French Riviera / Corsica, Isla Mujeres, Yonaguni, Bimini, Bahamas, Blue Hole / Lighthouse, Belize, Grand Bahama / Freeport, Bahamas, Key Largo, Florida Keys, Turneffe, Belize, Elba, Gladden Spit, Belize, Menorca, Sicily / Ustica, Tiger Beach, Bahamas, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, El Hierro, Canary Islands, Mallorca, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Bonaire, Reunion, Tofo, Ningaloo, Cornwall, SS Yongala, Green Island, Aruba, Curacao, Seychelles, Cairns, Costa Brava / Medes, Aliwal Shoal, Exumas, Bahamas and Jupiter / Palm Beach.
When to dive with loggerhead turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outer Banks | 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 |
| Greece | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Kas | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
| Madeira | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Azores | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Cape Verde | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
| Santa Maria, Azores | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Gran Canaria, Canary 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 |
Peak season Possible Not common
Loggerhead turtle month by month
- January
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Outer Banks.
- February
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Outer Banks.
- March
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Outer Banks.
- April
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Outer Banks.
- June
- Season starts at Greece. Also good at Santa Maria, Azores.
- July
- The one peak month at Kas. Also good at Greece, Cape Verde and 1 more.
- August
- Last peak month at Greece. Also good at Cape Verde and Santa Maria, Azores.
- September
- The one peak month at Kas. Also good at Cape Verde.
- October
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Outer Banks.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Outer Banks.
- December
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Outer Banks.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months loggerhead turtles are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outer Banks | All year | 18–28 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Cozumel | All year | 27–30 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Greece | Jun–Aug | 23–27 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Kas | May, Jul, Sep | 21–28 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
What else you'll see with loggerhead turtles
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Bottlenose dolphin
At Outer Banks, Azores and Santa Maria, Azores
Green turtle
At Outer Banks, Kas and Cape Verde
Yellowfin tuna
At Outer Banks, Azores and Santa Maria, Azores
Common dolphin
At Madeira, Azores and Santa Maria, Azores
Short-finned pilot whale
At Azores, Santa Maria, Azores and Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
Bull shark
At Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) and Cozumel
Diving with loggerhead turtles: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with loggerhead turtles?
- The most reliable place to dive with loggerhead turtles is Outer Banks, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with loggerhead turtles?
- July, when 4 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Outer Banks peaks All year; Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) peaks All year; Cozumel peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with loggerhead turtles?
- At Outer Banks from All year, the water is 18 °C to 28 °C, so bring a 7 mm semi-dry.
- How many places can you dive with loggerhead turtles?
- besttimetodive.com has loggerhead turtles on record at 54 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.