Where and when to see lemon sharks

Yellow-brown sharks of shallow sand flats, mangroves and reefs. They are often seen resting on the bottom or circling on shark dives in the Bahamas and Brazil.

This guide documents sightings in 2 Good Dives regions.

Colored-pencil illustration: one anatomically accurate adult lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) in a clear lateral profile. Most important: TWO DISTINCT DORSAL FINS of nearly equal height and similar low triangular shape must be visible at once; make the second dorsal approximately 85-100 percent of the first dorsal height.

Lemon sharks sighting calendar

Calendar months, every year

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Bahamas (Tiger Beach & Bimini)Bahamas●●●●●●●●●●●●
Fernando de NoronhaBrazil●●●●●●●●●●●●

Peak = best odds · ● = regularly seen · blank = unlikely.

Calendars describe animal presence, not weather or site access; check each region’s dive season. For grouped animals, a marked month may apply to only one member of the group. Sightings vary by site and dive.

Explore all 2 documented regions