Best time to dive Jardines de la Reina

Year-round sharks (silky, Caribbean reef, nurse) with little current; best conditions December–April (dry season). Whale sharks are an occasional bonus July–November (into December), not a reliable encounter.

Peak season: year-round

Best upcoming months:8.0November 2026 7.7March 2027 7.7April 2027

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	9	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	9	9	9	9	9	8
Macro life	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4
Coral & reef health	7	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	6	6	6	6	6	8
Visibility	9	9	9	9	9	9	8	8	8	8	8	8	9	9
Water temperature	9	8	8	8	8	9	10	10	10	10	10	10	9	8
Weather & sea state	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	7	6	6	6	7	8
Operations & access	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8

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)	25–35 m
December 2026	26.5 °C (80 °F)	25–35 m
January 2027	25.5 °C (78 °F)	25–35 m
February 2027	25.5 °C (78 °F)	25–35 m
March 2027	26.0 °C (79 °F)	25–35 m
April 2027	27.0 °C (81 °F)	25–35 m
May 2027	28.0 °C (82 °F)	20–30 m
June 2027	28.5 °C (83 °F)	20–30 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)	20–30 m
October 2027	29.0 °C (84 °F)	20–30 m
November 2027	27.5 °C (82 °F)	25–35 m
December 2027	26.5 °C (80 °F)	25–35 m

Marine life calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
silky shark	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
caribbean reef shark	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
whale shark							●	●	●	●	●	●
american crocodile	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
goliath grouper	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●

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

About the diving

Difficulty: Beginner
Current strength: 1 / 5
Luxury level: 3 / 5
Typical depth: 5–30 m
Max depth of interest: 30 m
Dive styles: Liveaboard, Resort
Suggested certification: Open Water
Nearest airport: CMW
Snorkelling: Good
Known for: silky shark, caribbean reef shark, american crocodile, goliath grouper

Famous sites: Black Coral I & II · Farallón · Pipín · Vicente

Season notes & sources

Year-round sharks (silky, Caribbean reef, nurse) with little current; best conditions December–April (dry season). Whale sharks are an occasional bonus July–November (into December), not a reliable encounter.
A protected marine park limited to fewer than 3,000 divers a year with a single licensed operator.