The verdict
Best places to dive with Napoleon wrasses
Cheilinus undulatus
The most reliable place to dive with Napoleon wrasses is Cairns, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 1 of 10 at peak | February: 0 of 10 at peak | March: 1 of 10 at peak | April: 0 of 10 at peak | May: 1 of 10 at peak | June: 0 of 10 at peak | July: 3 of 10 at peak | August: 1 of 10 at peak | September: 1 of 10 at peak | October: 1 of 10 at peak | November: 0 of 10 at peak | December: 2 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 2,121 OBIS records of Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) within 60 km of 41 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with Napoleon wrasses
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cairns | Australia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 31 of 32 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 2 | Misool, Raja Ampat | Indonesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 14 of 18 years | Liveaboard |
| 3 | Ribbon Reefs | Australia | Jul–Aug, Oct, Dec | Near-guaranteed | 24 of 32 years | Liveaboard |
| 4 | Palau | Micronesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 19 of 27 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 5 | Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm | Red Sea | All year | Near-guaranteed | 19 of 27 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 6 | Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed | Red Sea | All year | Near-guaranteed | 19 of 28 years | Day boat |
| 7 | Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat | Indonesia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 13 of 19 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 8 | Hurghada | Red Sea | All year | Near-guaranteed | 16 of 26 yearsfew records | Day boat, Liveaboard |
| 9 | Fakarava, French Polynesia | Fr. Polynesia | Jan, Mar, Jul, Sep | Near-guaranteed | 12 of 18 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 10 | Yap | Micronesia | May, Jul, Dec | Near-guaranteed | 6 of 9 years | Day boat |
Also on record at Tubbataha, Komodo North, Komodo South, Rangiroa, French Polynesia, SS Yongala, Daedalus Reef, Lembeh Strait, Marsa Alam, Bunaken, Abu Dabbab, Dahab, Moorea / Tahiti, French Polynesia, Brothers Islands, Tulamben / Amed, Nusa Penida, Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon, Banda Sea, Gili Islands, Solomon Islands, Mabul / Kapalai, Sipadan, Wayag / North, Raja Ampat, Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives, El Quseir, Zabargad & Rocky Island, North & Central Atolls, Maldives, Safaga, St John's / Fury Shoals, Wakatobi, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea and Lombok.
When to dive with Napoleon wrasses
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Misool, Raja Ampat | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: No survey data | Jul: Possible | Aug: No survey data | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Ribbon Reefs | Jan: Possible | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Possible | Dec: Peak season |
| Palau | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm | 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 |
| Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Hurghada | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Fakarava, French Polynesia | Jan: Peak season | Feb: No survey data | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Yap | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: No survey data | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Not common | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: No survey data | Dec: Peak season |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Napoleon wrasse month by month
- January
- The one peak month at Fakarava, French Polynesia.
- February
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cairns.
- March
- The one peak month at Fakarava, French Polynesia.
- April
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cairns.
- May
- The one peak month at Yap.
- June
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cairns.
- July
- Season starts at Ribbon Reefs. Also good at Fakarava, French Polynesia and Yap.
- August
- Last peak month at Ribbon Reefs.
- September
- The one peak month at Fakarava, French Polynesia.
- October
- The one peak month at Ribbon Reefs.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Cairns.
- December
- The one peak month at Ribbon Reefs. Also good at Yap.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months Napoleon wrasses are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns | All year | 25–30 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Misool, Raja Ampat | All year | 28–30 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Ribbon Reefs | Jul–Aug, Oct, Dec | 25–29 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Palau | All year | 29–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm | All year | 22–29 °C | 5 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with Napoleon wrasses
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Whitetip reef shark
At Misool, Raja Ampat, Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat and 2 more
Reef manta
At Misool, Raja Ampat, Palau and Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat
Grey reef shark
At Ribbon Reefs, Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat and Fakarava, French Polynesia
Bottlenose dolphin
At Strait of Gubal / Thistlegorm, Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed and Hurghada
Bigeye trevally
At Misool, Raja Ampat and Ribbon Reefs
Bumphead parrotfish
At Misool, Raja Ampat and Yap
Diving with Napoleon wrasses: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with Napoleon wrasses?
- The most reliable place to dive with Napoleon wrasses is Cairns, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with Napoleon wrasses?
- July, when 3 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Cairns peaks All year; Misool, Raja Ampat peaks All year; Ribbon Reefs peaks July to August, October, December.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with Napoleon wrasses?
- At Cairns from All year, the water is 25 °C to 30 °C, so bring a 3 mm full suit.
- How many places can you dive with Napoleon wrasses?
- besttimetodive.com has Napoleon wrasses on record at 41 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.