The verdict
Best places to dive with minke whales
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
The most reliable place to dive with minke whales is Farne Islands, from June to August.
| 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: 1 of 10 at peak | June: 4 of 10 at peak | July: 7 of 10 at peak | August: 6 of 10 at peak | September: 3 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 9,686 OBIS records of minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) within 60 km of 18 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with minke whales
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farne Islands | UK | Jun–Aug | Near-guaranteed | 30 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 2 | Silfra | Iceland | Jul–Aug | Near-guaranteed | 17 of 18 years | Shore |
| 3 | Scapa Flow | Scotland | May–Jun, Aug | Near-guaranteed | 29 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Cornwall | UK | Jul–Sep | Near-guaranteed | 26 of 32 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 5 | Catalina Island | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 20 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 6 | Newfoundland | Canada | Jul–Aug | Likely | 16 of 29 years | Day boat |
| 7 | La Jolla / San Diego | USA | All year | Likely | 13 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 8 | Lofoten / Skjervoy orcas | Norway | Jul–Sep | Likely | 13 of 27 yearsfew records | Snorkel |
| 9 | Narvik wrecks | Norway | Jun–Jul, Sep | Likely | 9 of 20 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 10 | Ribbon Reefs | Australia | Jun–Jul | Likely | 10 of 32 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
Also on record at Alaska, Ireland, Kauai / Niihau, Channel Islands, Cairns, Azores, Santa Maria, Azores and Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos.
When to dive with minke whales
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farne Islands | 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 |
| Silfra | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Scapa Flow | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Cornwall | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
| Catalina Island | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Newfoundland | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
| La Jolla / San Diego | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Lofoten / Skjervoy orcas | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
| Narvik wrecks | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Ribbon Reefs | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common
Minke whale month by month
- January
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Catalina Island.
- February
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Catalina Island.
- March
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Catalina Island.
- April
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Silfra.
- May
- Season starts at Scapa Flow.
- June
- Season starts at Farne Islands. Also good at Scapa Flow, Narvik wrecks and 1 more.
- July
- Season starts at Silfra. Also good at Farne Islands, Cornwall and 4 more.
- August
- The one peak month at Scapa Flow. Also good at Farne Islands, Silfra and 3 more.
- September
- The one peak month at Narvik wrecks. Also good at Cornwall and Lofoten / Skjervoy orcas.
- October
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Farne Islands.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cornwall.
- December
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Catalina Island.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months minke whales are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farne Islands | Jun–Aug | 12–15 °C | Drysuit |
| Scapa Flow | May–Jun, Aug | 9–13 °C | Drysuit |
| Cornwall | Jul–Sep | 16–17 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Catalina Island | All year | 15–21 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
What else you'll see with minke whales
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Diving with minke whales: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with minke whales?
- The most reliable place to dive with minke whales is Farne Islands, from June to August.
- When is the best time to dive with minke whales?
- July, when 7 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Farne Islands peaks June to August; Silfra peaks July to August; Scapa Flow peaks May to June, August.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with minke whales?
- At Farne Islands from June to August, the water is 12 °C to 15 °C, so bring a drysuit.
- How many places can you dive with minke whales?
- besttimetodive.com has minke whales on record at 18 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.