The verdict
Best places to dive with silvertip sharks
Carcharhinus albimarginatus
Your best chance with silvertip sharks is Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon, from May, though no site we score is a certainty.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 3 of 6 at peak | February: 1 of 6 at peak | March: 0 of 6 at peak | April: 0 of 6 at peak | May: 2 of 6 at peak | June: 2 of 6 at peak | July: 3 of 6 at peak | August: 1 of 6 at peak | September: 1 of 6 at peak | October: 0 of 6 at peak | November: 0 of 6 at peak | December: 2 of 6 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 3,953 OBIS records of silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) within 60 km of 6 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with silvertip sharks
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon | Micronesia | May | Likely | 3 of 10 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 2 | Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo | Mexico Pacific | Dec–Feb | Likely | 7 of 21 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
| 3 | Socorro / Revillagigedo | Mexico Pacific | Dec–Jan, Jun–Jul | Likely | 9 of 23 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
| 4 | Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | Fiji | Jan, Jul, Sep | Likely | 9 of 20 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 5 | SS Yongala | Australia | All year | Hit-or-miss | 2 of 27 years | Day boat |
| 6 | Rowley Shoals | Australia | May–Aug | Hit-or-miss | 4 of 14 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
When to dive with silvertip sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Possible | Dec: Peak season |
| Socorro / Revillagigedo | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: No survey data | Sep: Not common | Oct: No survey data | Nov: Possible | Dec: Peak season |
| Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Not common | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Not common | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| SS Yongala | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Rowley Shoals | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Silvertip shark month by month
- January
- The one peak month at Beqa Lagoon, Fiji. Also good at Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo and Socorro / Revillagigedo.
- February
- Last peak month at Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo.
- March
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Socorro / Revillagigedo.
- April
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon.
- May
- The one peak month at Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon. Also good at Rowley Shoals.
- June
- Season starts at Socorro / Revillagigedo. Also good at Rowley Shoals.
- July
- The one peak month at Beqa Lagoon, Fiji. Also good at Socorro / Revillagigedo and Rowley Shoals.
- August
- Last peak month at Rowley Shoals.
- September
- The one peak month at Beqa Lagoon, Fiji.
- October
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Beqa Lagoon, Fiji.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo.
- December
- Season starts at Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo. Also good at Socorro / Revillagigedo.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months silvertip sharks are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon | May | 29 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo | Dec–Feb | 24–26 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Socorro / Revillagigedo | Dec–Jan, Jun–Jul | 24–27 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | Jan, Jul, Sep | 26–29 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| SS Yongala | All year | 23–29 °C | 5 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with silvertip sharks
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Whitetip reef shark
At Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon, Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo and Socorro / Revillagigedo
Blacktip reef shark
At Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon and Beqa Lagoon, Fiji
Napoleon wrasse
At Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon and SS Yongala
Grey reef shark
At Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon
Bigeye trevally
At Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon
Humpback whale
At Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo
Diving with silvertip sharks: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with silvertip sharks?
- Your best chance with silvertip sharks is Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon, from May, though no site we score is a certainty.
- When is the best time to dive with silvertip sharks?
- January, July, when 3 of the 6 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon peaks May; Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo peaks December to February; Socorro / Revillagigedo peaks December to January, June to July.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with silvertip sharks?
- At Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon from May, the water is 29 °C to 29 °C, so bring a skin or 3 mm shorty.
- How many places can you dive with silvertip sharks?
- besttimetodive.com has silvertip sharks on record at 6 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.