Best Time to See Great White Sharks in the US
June, July and August is the best time to see great white sharks in the United States. This is a national picture built from 424 verified iNaturalist observations across 10 states, showing when and where great white sharks are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
424 verified observations of great white sharks in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When great white sharks are recorded in the US
Peak month
June
81 records (19.1% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 10 | 2.4% |
| February | 19 | 4.5% |
| March | 17 | 4% |
| April | 19 | 4.5% |
| May | 40 | 9.4% |
| Junepeak | 81 | 19.1% |
| Julypeak | 59 | 13.9% |
| Augustpeak | 57 | 13.4% |
| September | 40 | 9.4% |
| October | 42 | 9.9% |
| November | 24 | 5.7% |
| December | 16 | 3.8% |
Great White Sharks you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Great White Shark | 424 |
Across the country, great white sharks sightings peak in June, when 81 of the 424 annual observations are logged, about 19.1% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through June, July and August.
The best states to see great white sharks by recorded sightings are California (361), Massachusetts (42), North Carolina (7), New York (4) and Florida (3). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The great white sharks you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Great White Shark, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see great white sharks
- great white sharks in California361 sightings, peak June
- great white sharks in Massachusetts42 sightings, peak August
- great white sharks in North Carolina7 sightings, peak December
- great white sharks in New York4 sightings, peak June
- great white sharks in Florida3 sightings, peak February
- great white sharks in New Jersey3 sightings, peak June
- great white sharks in Hawaii1 sightings, peak November
- great white sharks in Oregon1 sightings, peak May
- great white sharks in South Carolina1 sightings, peak March
- great white sharks in Virginia1 sightings, peak July
Most-recorded great white sharks species nationwide
- Great White Shark424 records
Go see them · California
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Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see great white sharks in the US?+
June is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through June, July and August, based on 424 verified observations across 10 states.
Which states are best for seeing great white sharks?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are California, Massachusetts and North Carolina. California leads with 361 verified observations.
How many great white sharks sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 424 verified great white sharks observations are logged on iNaturalist across 10 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of great white sharks live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Great White Shark, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.