Spinner, bottlenose and common dolphins: pods that surf bow waves and sometimes join your safety stop.
Dolphins are the most social marine mammals divers meet. Bottlenose are large and confident; spinners (smaller, leaner) get their name from spinning out of the water; commons are mid-size and cosmopolitan. All are intelligent, curious about divers, and happy to play.
Most dolphin encounters happen on the boat (bow-riding) rather than underwater, since they prefer surface activity to deep dives. Red Sea dive sites (Sataya Reef, Sha'ab Sataya) and Oman's Daymaniyat have routine in-water encounters at the surface 5m.
You can't schedule dolphins. Pods follow food and weather. The best you can do is dive a destination known for them and hope. The Red Sea, Oman and the Maldives have the highest hit rate.
Tap a month to highlight it across destinations, or hover any cell for details.
4 destinations across Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf, East Africa, Red Sea, peak seasons vary by location, so plan your trip around the right destination AND the right month.
Tier 2Dolphins here: Jan–Apr, Oct–Dec · 25 sites
Tier 2Dolphins here: Jan–Apr, Sep–Dec · 20 sites
Tier 3Coming soonDolphins here: Jan–Feb, Jul–Dec · 22 sites
Tier 3Coming soonDolphins here: Mar–May, Sep–Nov · 30 sites
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Tell us when you can travel and your certification level, we'll match the right destination, the right season, and the right trip for diving with dolphins.
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