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Flower Garden Banks

Diving in United States

4 documented dive sites. Known for manta rays, hammerhead sharks and nurse sharks.

Best months
Jul–Sep
Water
16–29 °C
Levels
Advanced, Technical
Nearest airport
IAH

When to go

Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.

Pick a month

  • Best
  • Good
  • Possible
  • Closed
  • Not documented yet

Flower Garden Banks in November

Possible
Sea
26 °C
at the surface
Air
24 °C
22 °C at night
Rain
110 mm
average for the year
Wind
25 km/h
on average

Exposure suit: 2 mm shorty or 1 mm full suit · if you feel the cold: 3 mm full suit. How we choose

Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.

Compare with another destination

Trips run February–October. Best Jul–Sep: calmest seas from late July to mid-September, whale sharks and coral spawning in August. Feb–Apr has lower visibility (30–75 ft) but schooling scalloped hammerheads and spotted eagle rays.

Source: scubadiving.com

Dive sites in Flower Garden Banks

From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.

Reached only by liveaboard (2–5 nights on the M/V Fling).

For Advanced divers

usual dive down to 30 m3 sites

Technical and specialty dives

1 site

Marine life

When the big encounters happen, month by month.

SpeciesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Hammerhead sharksSource: flowergarden.noaa.gov
CoralsSource: flowergarden.noaa.gov
Eagle raysSource: scubadiving.com
SquidSource: flowergarden.noaa.gov
Whale sharksSource: flowergarden.noaa.gov
  • Peak season
  • Seen

Hammerhead sharks: Jan–Mar. Corals: Aug. Eagle rays: Jan–Mar. Squid: Aug–Sep. Whale sharks: Jul–Sep

Also reported here, season not documented yet:

  • Manta rays
  • Nurse sharks
  • Sandbar shark
  • Silky sharks
  • Turtles
  • Stingrays
  • Crustaceans
  • Mobula rays

Where is Flower Garden Banks?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth
Nearest airport
IAH

Flower Garden Banks: frequently asked questions

When is the best time to dive Flower Garden Banks?
The best months to dive Flower Garden Banks are Jul–Sep. Trips run February–October. Best Jul–Sep: calmest seas from late July to mid-September, whale sharks and coral spawning in August. Feb–Apr has lower visibility (30–75 ft) but schooling scalloped hammerheads and spotted eagle rays.
Is Flower Garden Banks good for beginner divers?
Not really: none of the 4 dive sites we document is rated for Open Water divers. Plan an Advanced certification and some experience first.
What is the water temperature in Flower Garden Banks?
The water is usually between 16 °C and 29 °C over the year.
What marine life can you see in Flower Garden Banks?
Divers regularly see hammerhead sharks (Jan–Mar), corals (Aug), manta rays, nurse sharks, sandbar shark and silky sharks.
How do you dive Flower Garden Banks?
The nearest airport is IAH.

About this page

Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.

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Photo: Sarah Lee on Unsplash
Photo credits