The verdict
Best places to dive with sand tiger sharks
Carcharias taurus
The most reliable place to dive with sand tiger sharks is Outer Banks, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 1 of 4 at peak | February: 1 of 4 at peak | March: 3 of 4 at peak | April: 1 of 4 at peak | May: 1 of 4 at peak | June: 3 of 4 at peak | July: 3 of 4 at peak | August: 2 of 4 at peak | September: 1 of 4 at peak | October: 1 of 4 at peak | November: 3 of 4 at peak | December: 1 of 4 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak
Based on 301 OBIS records of sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) within 60 km of 4 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with sand tiger sharks
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 | 23 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 2 | Byron Bay / Julian Rocks | Australia | Jun–Aug, Nov | Likely | 16 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Aliwal Shoal | South Africa | Mar, Jun–Jul, Nov | Likely | 13 of 31 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Protea Banks | South Africa | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 4 of 26 years | Day boat |
When to dive with sand tiger sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outer Banks | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Byron Bay / Julian Rocks | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Possible |
| Aliwal Shoal | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Not common |
| Protea Banks | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common
Sand tiger shark month by month
- January
- Best at Outer Banks.
- February
- Best at Outer Banks.
- March
- The one peak month at Aliwal Shoal. Also good at Protea Banks and Outer Banks.
- April
- Best at Outer Banks.
- May
- Best at Outer Banks.
- June
- Season starts at Byron Bay / Julian Rocks. Also good at Aliwal Shoal and Outer Banks.
- July
- Last peak month at Aliwal Shoal. Also good at Byron Bay / Julian Rocks and Outer Banks.
- August
- Last peak month at Byron Bay / Julian Rocks. Also good at Outer Banks.
- September
- Best at Outer Banks.
- October
- Best at Outer Banks.
- November
- The one peak month at Byron Bay / Julian Rocks. Also good at Aliwal Shoal and Outer Banks.
- December
- Best at Outer Banks.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months sand tiger sharks are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outer Banks | All year | 18–28 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Byron Bay / Julian Rocks | Jun–Aug, Nov | 20–23 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
| Aliwal Shoal | Mar, Jun–Jul, Nov | 22–26 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Protea Banks | Mar | 27 °C | 3 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with sand tiger sharks
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Diving with sand tiger sharks: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with sand tiger sharks?
- The most reliable place to dive with sand tiger sharks is Outer Banks, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with sand tiger sharks?
- March, June to July, November, when 3 of the 4 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Outer Banks peaks All year; Byron Bay / Julian Rocks peaks June to August, November; Aliwal Shoal peaks March, June to July, November.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with sand tiger sharks?
- 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 sand tiger sharks?
- besttimetodive.com has sand tiger sharks on record at 4 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.