Dive with

Best places to dive with Olive sea snake

Aipysurus laevis

A large, curious sea snake common on the Ribbon Reefs and a signature of sites like the Snake Pit and Two Towers. Venomous but rarely aggressive; individuals sometimes investigate divers and camera housings. Air-breathing, so seen at the surface and throughout the water column.

Destinations ranked by how reliably olive sea snake is seen. The bars show the likelihood by month — never a guarantee. See the full species page for more.

Ribbon Reefs & Cod Hole, Australia
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januarycommonly seen
Februarycommonly seen
Marchcommonly seen
Aprilcommonly seen
Maycommonly seen
Junecommonly seen
Julycommonly seen
Augustcommonly seen
Septembercommonly seen
Octobercommonly seen
Novembercommonly seen
Decembercommonly seen

Resident year-round on the Ribbon Reefs; not seasonal. Commonly seen, particularly at exposed reef sites; encounters vary dive to dive.

SS Yongala & Townsville, Australia
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Possible throughout the operating year; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Banda Sea, Indonesia
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryrare
Februaryrare
Marchrare
Aprilrare
Mayrare
Junerare
Julyrare
Augustrare
Septemberrare
Octoberrare
Novemberrare
Decemberrare

Listed by several operators alongside the sea kraits at Manuk, but the reports are inconsistent and much of what gets called an olive sea snake in the Banda Sea is a banded sea krait. Treat as a possible rather than an expected sighting, and check the tail and head markings before logging it.