The verdict
Best places to dive with southern stingrays
Hypanus americanus
The most reliable place to dive with southern stingrays is Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 0 of 10 at peak | February: 1 of 10 at peak | March: 1 of 10 at peak | April: 1 of 10 at peak | May: 0 of 10 at peak | June: 0 of 10 at peak | July: 0 of 10 at peak | August: 0 of 10 at peak | September: 0 of 10 at peak | October: 0 of 10 at peak | November: 0 of 10 at peak | December: 0 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Possible only
Based on 4,507 OBIS records of southern stingray (Hypanus americanus) within 60 km of 39 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with southern stingrays
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands | Caribbean | All year | Near-guaranteed | 31 of 31 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 2 | British Virgin Islands | BVI | All year | Near-guaranteed | 28 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Key Largo, Florida Keys | USA | Feb–Apr | Near-guaranteed | 28 of 32 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 4 | Key West, Florida Keys | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 27 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 5 | St. Croix | USVI | All year | Near-guaranteed | 26 of 31 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 6 | Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) | Mexico Caribbean | All year | Near-guaranteed | 20 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 7 | Cozumel | Mexico Caribbean | All year | Near-guaranteed | 20 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 8 | Turneffe, Belize | Belize | All year | Near-guaranteed | 21 of 30 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 9 | Cancun / Riviera Maya | Mexico Caribbean | All year | Near-guaranteed | 19 of 27 years | Day boat |
| 10 | Tobago | Caribbean | All year | Near-guaranteed | 12 of 18 years | Day boat |
Also on record at Puerto Rico, Isla Mujeres, Bonaire, Gladden Spit, Belize, Outer Banks, Statia (St. Eustatius), Turks & Caicos, Saba, Utila, Blue Hole / Lighthouse, Belize, Andros / Nassau, Bahamas, Bimini, Bahamas, Roatan, St. Kitts & Nevis, Bocas del Toro, Guadeloupe, Barbados, Jamaica, Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands, Providencia, Exumas, Bahamas, Grand Bahama / Freeport, Bahamas, Jardines de la Reina, Tiger Beach, Bahamas, Guanaja, Fernando de Noronha, Martinique and Curacao.
When to dive with southern stingrays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Cayman, Cayman 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 |
| British Virgin 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 |
| Key Largo, Florida Keys | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Key West, Florida Keys | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| St. Croix | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Cenotes (Tulum / Playa) | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Cozumel | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Turneffe, Belize | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Cancun / Riviera Maya | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Tobago | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
Peak season Possible Not common
Southern stingray month by month
- January
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
- February
- Season starts at Key Largo, Florida Keys.
- March
- Best at Key Largo, Florida Keys.
- April
- Last peak month at Key Largo, Florida Keys.
- May
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
- June
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
- July
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
- August
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
- September
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
- October
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
- December
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months southern stingrays are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands | All year | 27–30 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| British Virgin Islands | All year | 27–29 °C | 3 mm full suit |
| Key Largo, Florida Keys | Feb–Apr | 25–26 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Key West, Florida Keys | All year | 24–30 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| St. Croix | All year | 27–30 °C | 3 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with southern stingrays
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Hawksbill turtle
At British Virgin Islands, Key Largo, Florida Keys and Tobago
Loggerhead turtle
At Key Largo, Florida Keys, Turneffe, Belize and Cancun / Riviera Maya
Bull shark
At Cenotes (Tulum / Playa), Cozumel and Cancun / Riviera Maya
Manatee
At Key Largo, Florida Keys and Key West, Florida Keys
Bottlenose dolphin
At Key Largo, Florida Keys and Key West, Florida Keys
Goliath grouper
At Key Largo, Florida Keys and Key West, Florida Keys
Diving with southern stingrays: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with southern stingrays?
- The most reliable place to dive with southern stingrays is Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with southern stingrays?
- February to April, when 1 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands peaks All year; British Virgin Islands peaks All year; Key Largo, Florida Keys peaks February to April.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with southern stingrays?
- At Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands from All year, the water is 27 °C to 30 °C, so bring a 3 mm full suit.
- How many places can you dive with southern stingrays?
- besttimetodive.com has southern stingrays on record at 39 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.