Best Time to See Dolphins in the US
June, May and July is the best time to see dolphins in the United States. This is a national picture built from 23,776 verified iNaturalist observations across 23 states, showing when and where dolphins are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
23,776 verified observations of dolphins in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When dolphins are recorded in the US
Peak month
June
2,452 records (10.3% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,736 | 7.3% |
| February | 1,389 | 5.8% |
| March | 2,177 | 9.2% |
| April | 2,265 | 9.5% |
| Maypeak | 2,408 | 10.1% |
| Junepeak | 2,452 | 10.3% |
| Julypeak | 2,348 | 9.9% |
| August | 2,223 | 9.3% |
| September | 1,849 | 7.8% |
| October | 1,714 | 7.2% |
| November | 1,477 | 6.2% |
| December | 1,738 | 7.3% |
Dolphins you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Common Bottlenose Dolphin | 9,339 |
| Tamanend's Bottlenose Dolphin | 3,807 |
| Orca | 3,422 |
| Common Dolphin | 2,038 |
| Risso's Dolphin | 1,320 |
| Spinner Dolphin | 998 |
| Pacific White-sided Dolphin | 490 |
| Northern Right Whale Dolphin | 120 |
Across the country, dolphins sightings peak in June, when 2,452 of the 23,776 annual observations are logged, about 10.3% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through June, May and July.
The best states to see dolphins by recorded sightings are California (8,463), Florida (4,437), Washington (1,727), Texas (1,595) and Hawaii (1,259). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The dolphins you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Tamanend's Bottlenose Dolphin and Orca, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see dolphins
- dolphins in California8,463 sightings, peak May
- dolphins in Florida4,437 sightings, peak March
- dolphins in Washington1,727 sightings, peak July
- dolphins in Texas1,595 sightings, peak March
- dolphins in Hawaii1,259 sightings, peak January
- dolphins in Alaska1,134 sightings, peak June
- dolphins in South Carolina973 sightings, peak March
- dolphins in New Jersey705 sightings, peak July
- dolphins in North Carolina697 sightings, peak August
- dolphins in Virginia573 sightings, peak January
- dolphins in Alabama376 sightings, peak September
- dolphins in Massachusetts324 sightings, peak August
- dolphins in Georgia309 sightings, peak May
- dolphins in Louisiana255 sightings, peak April
- dolphins in New York250 sightings, peak June
Most-recorded dolphins species nationwide
- Common Bottlenose Dolphin9,339 records
- Tamanend's Bottlenose Dolphin3,807 records
- Orca3,422 records
- Common Dolphin2,038 records
- Risso's Dolphin1,320 records
- Spinner Dolphin998 records
Go see them · California
San Diego Whale Watching & Dolphin Cruise
Set sail from scenic Mission Bay and encounter some of the ocean’s most awe-inspiring creatures on a 2–3 hour whale-watching adventure in San Diego....
Staying over? Compare places to stay near California
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see dolphins in the US?+
June is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through June, May and July, based on 23,776 verified observations across 23 states.
Which states are best for seeing dolphins?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are California, Florida and Washington. California leads with 8,463 verified observations.
How many dolphins sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 23,776 verified dolphins observations are logged on iNaturalist across 23 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of dolphins live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Tamanend's Bottlenose Dolphin and Orca, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.