The verdict
Best places to dive with tiger sharks
Galeocerdo cuvier
The most reliable place to dive with tiger sharks is Fuvahmulah, from February to March, December.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 0 of 10 at peak | February: 3 of 10 at peak | March: 5 of 10 at peak | April: 0 of 10 at peak | May: 1 of 10 at peak | June: 1 of 10 at peak | July: 2 of 10 at peak | August: 1 of 10 at peak | September: 1 of 10 at peak | October: 0 of 10 at peak | November: 0 of 10 at peak | December: 3 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 1,736 OBIS records of tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) within 60 km of 19 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with tiger sharks
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fuvahmulah | Maldives | Feb–Mar, Dec | Near-guaranteed | 8 of 12 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 2 | Sardine Run | South Africa | All year | Likely | 9 of 17 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Ponta do Ouro | Mozambique | All year | Likely | 10 of 24 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Ningaloo | Australia | All year | Likely | 11 of 32 years | Day boat, Snorkel |
| 5 | Tiger Beach, Bahamas | Bahamas | Feb–Mar, Dec | Likely | 10 of 30 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
| 6 | South (Addu / Laamu), Maldives | Maldives | Feb–Mar, May, Dec | Likely | 6 of 12 yearsfew records | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 7 | Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | Fiji | Mar, Jul | Likely | 8 of 20 years | Day boat |
| 8 | Aliwal Shoal | South Africa | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 9 of 31 years | Day boat |
| 9 | SS Yongala | Australia | All year | Hit-or-miss | 6 of 27 yearsfew records | Day boat |
| 10 | Oahu | USA | Jun–Sep | Hit-or-miss | 8 of 29 yearsfew records | Day boat, Shore |
Also on record at Protea Banks, Grand Bahama / Freeport, Bahamas, Malpelo, Cairns, Socorro / Revillagigedo, Big Island / Kona, Byron Bay / Julian Rocks, Cocos Island and North & Central Atolls, Maldives.
When to dive with tiger sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuvahmulah | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Peak season |
| Sardine Run | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Ponta do Ouro | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Ningaloo | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Tiger Beach, Bahamas | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Peak season |
| South (Addu / Laamu), Maldives | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Peak season | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: No survey data | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Peak season |
| Beqa Lagoon, Fiji | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
| Aliwal Shoal | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | 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 |
| Oahu | Jan: Possible | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Tiger shark month by month
- January
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Fuvahmulah.
- February
- Season starts at Fuvahmulah. Also good at Tiger Beach, Bahamas and South (Addu / Laamu), Maldives.
- March
- The one peak month at Beqa Lagoon, Fiji. Also good at Fuvahmulah, Tiger Beach, Bahamas and 2 more.
- April
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Sardine Run.
- May
- The one peak month at South (Addu / Laamu), Maldives.
- June
- Season starts at Oahu.
- July
- The one peak month at Beqa Lagoon, Fiji. Also good at Oahu.
- August
- Best at Oahu.
- September
- Last peak month at Oahu.
- October
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Fuvahmulah.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Fuvahmulah.
- December
- The one peak month at Fuvahmulah. Also good at Tiger Beach, Bahamas and South (Addu / Laamu), Maldives.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months tiger sharks are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuvahmulah | Feb–Mar, Dec | 29–30 °C | Skin or 3 mm shorty |
| Sardine Run | All year | 21–26 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
| Ponta do Ouro | All year | 22–28 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Ningaloo | All year | 23–29 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Tiger Beach, Bahamas | Feb–Mar, Dec | 25–26 °C | 5 mm full suit |
What else you'll see with tiger sharks
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Diving with tiger sharks: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with tiger sharks?
- The most reliable place to dive with tiger sharks is Fuvahmulah, from February to March, December.
- When is the best time to dive with tiger sharks?
- March, when 5 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Fuvahmulah peaks February to March, December; Sardine Run peaks All year; Ponta do Ouro peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with tiger sharks?
- At Fuvahmulah from February to March, December, the water is 29 °C to 30 °C, so bring a skin or 3 mm shorty.
- How many places can you dive with tiger sharks?
- besttimetodive.com has tiger sharks on record at 19 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.