The verdict
Best places to dive with scalloped hammerheads
Sphyrna lewini
The most reliable place to dive with scalloped hammerheads is Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 4 of 10 at peak | February: 3 of 10 at peak | March: 4 of 10 at peak | April: 3 of 10 at peak | May: 3 of 10 at peak | June: 3 of 10 at peak | July: 4 of 10 at peak | August: 4 of 10 at peak | September: 4 of 10 at peak | October: 3 of 10 at peak | November: 3 of 10 at peak | December: 3 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak
Based on 1,113 OBIS records of scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) within 60 km of 18 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with scalloped hammerheads
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos | Ecuador | All year | Near-guaranteed | 30 of 32 years | Liveaboard |
| 2 | Malpelo | Colombia | All year | Near-guaranteed | 18 of 22 years | Liveaboard |
| 3 | Galapagos Central | Ecuador | All year | Likely | 14 of 31 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 4 | Socorro / Revillagigedo | Mexico Pacific | Jan–Feb | Likely | 9 of 23 years | Liveaboard |
| 5 | Oahu | USA | May–Jul | Likely | 10 of 29 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 6 | Brothers Islands | Red Sea | Jul, Sep–Oct, Dec | Likely | 7 of 19 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
| 7 | Cocos Island | Costa Rica | Jan, Aug–Sep | Likely | 8 of 16 years | Liveaboard |
| 8 | Daedalus Reef | Red Sea | Apr, Aug, Nov | Likely | 9 of 20 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
| 9 | Protea Banks | South Africa | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 3 of 26 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 10 | Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | Fiji | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 1 of 20 years | Day boat |
Also on record at Bligh Water, Fiji, Aliwal Shoal, SS Yongala, Abu Dabbab, Marsa Alam, Outer Banks, Ningaloo and Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo.
When to dive with scalloped hammerheads
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos | 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 |
| Malpelo | 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 |
| Galapagos Central | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Socorro / Revillagigedo | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: No survey data | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Oahu | Jan: Possible | Feb: Not common | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
| Brothers Islands | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Possible | Dec: Peak season |
| Cocos Island | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Possible | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Daedalus Reef | Jan: No survey data | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Peak season | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Possible |
| Protea Banks | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: No survey data | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Scalloped hammerhead month by month
- January
- Season starts at Socorro / Revillagigedo. Also good at Cocos Island, Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and 1 more.
- February
- Last peak month at Socorro / Revillagigedo. Also good at Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and Malpelo.
- March
- The one peak month at Protea Banks. Also good at Beqa Lagoon, Fiji, Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and 1 more.
- April
- The one peak month at Daedalus Reef. Also good at Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and Malpelo.
- May
- Season starts at Oahu. Also good at Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and Malpelo.
- June
- Best at Oahu, Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and 1 more.
- July
- The one peak month at Brothers Islands. Also good at Oahu, Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and 1 more.
- August
- Season starts at Cocos Island. Also good at Daedalus Reef, Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and 1 more.
- September
- Season starts at Brothers Islands. Also good at Cocos Island, Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and 1 more.
- October
- Last peak month at Brothers Islands. Also good at Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and Malpelo.
- November
- The one peak month at Daedalus Reef. Also good at Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and Malpelo.
- December
- The one peak month at Brothers Islands. Also good at Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and Malpelo.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months scalloped hammerheads are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos | All year | 25–28 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Malpelo | All year | 26–28 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Galapagos Central | All year | 22–27 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Socorro / Revillagigedo | Jan–Feb | 24–25 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Oahu | May–Jul | 26–27 °C | 3 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with scalloped hammerheads
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Whitetip reef shark
At Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos, Socorro / Revillagigedo and Cocos Island
Hawksbill turtle
At Oahu, Brothers Islands and Daedalus Reef
Silky shark
At Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and Malpelo
Yellowfin tuna
At Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and Galapagos Central
Bottlenose dolphin
At Malpelo and Cocos Island
Oceanic manta
At Galapagos Central and Socorro / Revillagigedo
Diving with scalloped hammerheads: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with scalloped hammerheads?
- The most reliable place to dive with scalloped hammerheads is Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with scalloped hammerheads?
- January, March, July to September, when 4 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos peaks All year; Malpelo peaks All year; Galapagos Central peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with scalloped hammerheads?
- At Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos from All year, the water is 25 °C to 28 °C, so bring a 5 mm full suit.
- How many places can you dive with scalloped hammerheads?
- besttimetodive.com has scalloped hammerheads on record at 18 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.