Dive with
Best places to dive with Common dolphin
Delphinus delphis
The Sardine Run's headline hunter — short-beaked, with an hourglass flank pattern, travelling in super-pods that herd sardines into bait balls with coordinated bubble-netting.
Destinations ranked by how reliably common dolphin is seen. The bars show the likelihood by month — never a guarantee. See the full species page for more.
KwaZulu-Natal Shark Coast, South Africa
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | rare |
| May | peak season |
| June | peak season |
| July | peak season |
| August | occasional |
| September | rare |
| October | rare |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
Super-pods drive the Sardine Run bait balls, roughly May–July.
Azores, Portugal
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Frequently encountered on the boat, not usually on scuba. Swimming with dolphins is legal but tightly regulated — snorkel only, never scuba, no more than two swimmers at a time near the vessel.