Best time to dive Belize Barrier Reef & Atolls

April–June brings the best visibility and Gladden Spit's whale sharks, which feed on snapper spawn around the March–June full moons (especially April–May). It's also high season at the Blue Hole. August–October is wettest.

Peak season: April–May

Best upcoming months:8.3May 2027 8.0April 2027 7.5June 2027

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Overall diving, month by month

Balanced scoring · forecasts include the 2026/27 El Niño outlook

Confidence: Nov medium · Dec high · Jan medium · Feb medium · Mar medium · Apr medium · May medium · Jun medium · Jul medium · Aug medium · Sep medium · Oct low · Nov low · Dec medium

What's good when

Each attribute scored 0–10 for every month

	Nov2026	Dec	Jan2027	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Pelagic & big animals	6	6	6	6	7	9	9	8	6	6	6	6	6	6
Macro life	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6
Coral & reef health	5	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	4	4	4	4	6
Visibility	8	8	8	8	9	9	9	9	8	8	7	7	8	8
Water temperature	9	9	8	8	9	9	10	10	10	10	10	10	9	9
Weather & sea state	8	7	7	8	8	9	9	8	7	6	5	5	6	7
Operations & access	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10

Climate outlook

How this year's forecast differs from a typical year

Weather & sea state +1.3 · El Niño suppresses Atlantic hurricanes; La Niña tends to bring more (Nov 2026 – November 2027)
Coral & reef health -1.6 · Late-summer bleaching risk in the year after a strong El Niño (Jul 2027 – November 2027)

Water temperature & visibility

Month	Water	Visibility
November 2026	27.5 °C (82 °F)	20–30 m
December 2026	27.0 °C (81 °F)	20–30 m
January 2027	26.5 °C (80 °F)	20–30 m
February 2027	26.5 °C (80 °F)	20–30 m
March 2027	27.0 °C (81 °F)	25–35 m
April 2027	27.5 °C (82 °F)	25–40 m
May 2027	28.5 °C (83 °F)	25–40 m
June 2027	29.0 °C (84 °F)	25–35 m
July 2027	29.0 °C (84 °F)	20–30 m
August 2027	29.5 °C (85 °F)	20–30 m
September 2027	29.5 °C (85 °F)	15–25 m
October 2027	28.5 °C (83 °F)	15–25 m
November 2027	27.5 °C (82 °F)	20–30 m
December 2027	27.0 °C (81 °F)	20–30 m

Marine life calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
whale shark (Gladden Spit)			●	Peak	Peak	●
snapper spawning			●	Peak	Peak	●
caribbean reef shark	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
nurse shark (snorkel)	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●

Peak = best odds · ● = regularly seen · blank = unlikely. Calendar months, every year.

About the diving

Difficulty: Intermediate
Current strength: 2 / 5
Luxury level: 5 / 5
Typical depth: 5–40 m
Max depth of interest: 40 m
Dive styles: Liveaboard, Day boat, Resort
Suggested certification: Advanced Open Water (Blue Hole ~40 m)
Nearest airport: BZE
Snorkelling: Good
Known for: whale shark, caribbean reef shark, snapper spawning aggregations

Famous sites: Great Blue Hole · Half Moon Caye Wall · Turneffe Elbow · Gladden Spit

Season notes & sources

April–June brings the best visibility and Gladden Spit's whale sharks, which feed on snapper spawn around the March–June full moons (especially April–May). It's also high season at the Blue Hole. August–October is wettest.
Shark Ray Alley in Hol Chan Marine Reserve is a nurse-shark snorkeling encounter. The resident calendar does not imply a scuba dive at that site or an established monthly peak.