The verdict
Best places to dive with sardines
Sardinops sagax
The most reliable place to dive with sardines is Catalina Island, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 3 of 9 at peak | February: 2 of 9 at peak | March: 3 of 9 at peak | April: 5 of 9 at peak | May: 2 of 9 at peak | June: 3 of 9 at peak | July: 2 of 9 at peak | August: 5 of 9 at peak | September: 6 of 9 at peak | October: 5 of 9 at peak | November: 2 of 9 at peak | December: 3 of 9 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak
Based on 4,480 OBIS records of sardine (Sardinops sagax) within 60 km of 9 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with sardines
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalina Island | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 32 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 2 | La Jolla / San Diego | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 30 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 3 | Channel Islands | USA | Aug–Oct | Near-guaranteed | 27 of 32 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 4 | Monterey | USA | Aug–Oct | Near-guaranteed | 26 of 32 years | Shore |
| 5 | Guadalupe Island | Mexico Pacific | Mar–Apr | Hit-or-miss | 0 of 19 yearsfew records | Cage |
| 6 | Aliwal Shoal | South Africa | Jun | Hit-or-miss | 5 of 31 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 7 | Poor Knights | New Zealand | Sep–Oct, Dec | Hit-or-miss | 4 of 31 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 8 | Byron Bay / Julian Rocks | Australia | Apr, Aug–Sep | Hit-or-miss | 1 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 9 | Sea of Cortez / La Paz | Mexico Pacific | Jan, Apr | Hit-or-miss | 1 of 30 yearsfew records | Liveaboard, Day boat |
When to dive with sardines
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina Island | 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 |
| La Jolla / San Diego | 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 |
| Channel Islands | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Monterey | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Guadalupe Island | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Aliwal Shoal | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Poor Knights | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Not common | Dec: Peak season |
| Byron Bay / Julian Rocks | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Not common | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Sea of Cortez / La Paz | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Possible | 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: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common
Sardine month by month
- January
- The one peak month at Sea of Cortez / La Paz. Also good at Catalina Island and La Jolla / San Diego.
- February
- Best at Catalina Island and La Jolla / San Diego.
- March
- Season starts at Guadalupe Island. Also good at Catalina Island and La Jolla / San Diego.
- April
- The one peak month at Byron Bay / Julian Rocks. Also good at Guadalupe Island, Sea of Cortez / La Paz and 2 more.
- May
- Best at Catalina Island and La Jolla / San Diego.
- June
- The one peak month at Aliwal Shoal. Also good at Catalina Island and La Jolla / San Diego.
- July
- Best at Catalina Island and La Jolla / San Diego.
- August
- Season starts at Channel Islands. Also good at Monterey, Byron Bay / Julian Rocks and 2 more.
- September
- Season starts at Poor Knights. Also good at Channel Islands, Monterey and 3 more.
- October
- Last peak month at Channel Islands. Also good at Monterey, Poor Knights and 2 more.
- November
- Best at Catalina Island and La Jolla / San Diego.
- December
- The one peak month at Poor Knights. Also good at Catalina Island and La Jolla / San Diego.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months sardines are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina Island | All year | 15–21 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| La Jolla / San Diego | All year | 15–22 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Channel Islands | Aug–Oct | 19–20 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
| Monterey | Aug–Oct | 15–16 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Guadalupe Island | Mar–Apr | 17 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
What else you'll see with sardines
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
California sea lion
At Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 3 more
Ocean sunfish
At Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and 2 more
Blue whale
At Catalina Island, La Jolla / San Diego and Monterey
Blue shark
At Catalina Island, Channel Islands and Monterey
Humpback whale
At Aliwal Shoal, Byron Bay / Julian Rocks and Sea of Cortez / La Paz
Grey whale
At Catalina Island and La Jolla / San Diego
Diving with sardines: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with sardines?
- The most reliable place to dive with sardines is Catalina Island, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with sardines?
- September, when 6 of the 9 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Catalina Island peaks All year; La Jolla / San Diego peaks All year; Channel Islands peaks August to October.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with sardines?
- At Catalina Island from All year, the water is 15 °C to 21 °C, so bring a 7 mm semi-dry.
- How many places can you dive with sardines?
- besttimetodive.com has sardines on record at 9 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.