Scalloped hammerheads are the iconic schooling shark of the eastern Pacific seamounts — Cocos Island (Costa Rica), Malpelo (Colombia), and the Galápagos northern islands of Darwin and Wolf. Large schools of a hundred or more animals cruise cleaning stations at twenty to forty metres, a sight that defines a certain kind of expedition diving. They are also seen in the Red Sea, the Similans, and the Philippines, though rarely in the same numbers. Shark-aware operators ask divers to hold position behind structure and minimise bubbles — hammerheads spook easily.
The year at a glance
Global aggregated reliability — at any given month, how reliably can you find this species somewhere in the world?
Jan 2
Feb 2
Mar 2
Apr 3
May 3
Jun 4
Jul 4
Aug 4
Sep 4
Oct 4
Nov 3
Dec 2
Score 1–5 · global aggregated reliability Rare
Moderate
Reliable
Where to see them in April
Sorted by April reliability and species status.
- 01
5/5 - 02
4/5 - 03
4/5 - 04
5/5 - 05
5/5 - 06
5/5
Full season breakdown
Peak Present Rare
Destination
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Notes
Large schools at Alcyone and Dirty Rock
Massive schools at Darwin and Wolf during cold season
Daedalus northern plateau schooling
Peak season
Present
Peleliu Express and Blue Corner in stronger currents
Present