The verdict
Best places to dive with short-finned pilot whales
Globicephala macrorhynchus
The most reliable place to dive with short-finned pilot whales is Madeira, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 1 of 10 at peak | February: 1 of 10 at peak | March: 2 of 10 at peak | April: 0 of 10 at peak | May: 3 of 10 at peak | June: 1 of 10 at peak | July: 3 of 10 at peak | August: 2 of 10 at peak | September: 1 of 10 at peak | October: 1 of 10 at peak | November: 1 of 10 at peak | December: 0 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 4,304 OBIS records of short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) within 60 km of 18 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with short-finned pilot whales
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madeira | Portugal | All year | Near-guaranteed | 24 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 2 | Big Island / Kona | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 27 of 30 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Tenerife, Canary Islands | Spain | All year | Near-guaranteed | 26 of 29 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 4 | Azores | Portugal | May, Jul | Likely | 15 of 28 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 5 | Santa Maria, Azores | Portugal | Jul–Aug | Likely | 11 of 26 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 6 | Oahu | USA | May, Oct–Nov | Likely | 13 of 29 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 7 | Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Mexico Pacific | Mar, Aug | Likely | 11 of 32 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 8 | Gran Canaria, Canary Islands | Spain | Jan, Mar, Sep | Likely | 7 of 21 yearsfew records | Day boat, Shore |
| 9 | Kauai / Niihau | USA | Feb, Jun | Likely | 8 of 23 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 10 | Martinique | Caribbean | May, Jul | Hit-or-miss | 8 of 27 yearsfew records | Day boat |
Also on record at Nosy Be, Sea of Cortez / La Paz, Cano Island / Drake Bay, Western (Isabela/Fernandina), Galapagos, Andros / Nassau, Bahamas, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, St. Lucia and Galapagos Central.
When to dive with short-finned pilot whales
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madeira | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Big Island / Kona | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Tenerife, Canary Islands | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Azores | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Santa Maria, Azores | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Oahu | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Peak season | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Not common |
| Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Gran Canaria, Canary Islands | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Kauai / Niihau | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
| Martinique | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common
Short-finned pilot whale month by month
- January
- The one peak month at Gran Canaria, Canary Islands.
- February
- The one peak month at Kauai / Niihau.
- March
- The one peak month at Loreto / Sea of Cortez North. Also good at Gran Canaria, Canary Islands.
- April
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Madeira.
- May
- The one peak month at Azores. Also good at Oahu and Martinique.
- June
- The one peak month at Kauai / Niihau.
- July
- The one peak month at Azores. Also good at Santa Maria, Azores and Martinique.
- August
- The one peak month at Loreto / Sea of Cortez North. Also good at Santa Maria, Azores.
- September
- The one peak month at Gran Canaria, Canary Islands.
- October
- Season starts at Oahu.
- November
- Last peak month at Oahu.
- December
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Madeira.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months short-finned pilot whales are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madeira | All year | 19–24 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
| Big Island / Kona | All year | 25–27 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Tenerife, Canary Islands | All year | 20–24 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
| Azores | May, Jul | 18–22 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Santa Maria, Azores | Jul–Aug | 22–24 °C | 5 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with short-finned pilot whales
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Humpback whale
At Madeira, Big Island / Kona and 3 more
Common dolphin
At Madeira, Tenerife, Canary Islands and 2 more
Sperm whale
At Big Island / Kona, Azores and 2 more
Bottlenose dolphin
At Azores, Santa Maria, Azores and 2 more
Atlantic spotted dolphin
At Tenerife, Canary Islands, Azores and Santa Maria, Azores
Loggerhead turtle
At Azores and Santa Maria, Azores
Diving with short-finned pilot whales: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with short-finned pilot whales?
- The most reliable place to dive with short-finned pilot whales is Madeira, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with short-finned pilot whales?
- May, July, when 3 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Madeira peaks All year; Big Island / Kona peaks All year; Tenerife, Canary Islands peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with short-finned pilot whales?
- At Madeira from All year, the water is 19 °C to 24 °C, so bring a 5 mm with hood and gloves.
- How many places can you dive with short-finned pilot whales?
- besttimetodive.com has short-finned pilot whales on record at 18 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.