Where and when to see nurse sharks
Nurse sharks rest around reef ledges and sand, with some regions offering dedicated encounters. Choose between reef scuba dives and shallow snorkeling, and check which kind of nurse shark the local operator targets.
This guide documents sightings in 4 Good Dives regions.
Where to plan your trip
Our picks for a trip focused on nurse sharks, chosen for the encounters below. Calendar peaks describe timing, not a ranking of destinations.
A dedicated shallow-water encounter
Snorkeling
Belize Barrier Reef & AtollsShark Ray Alley is a nurse-shark and stingray snorkeling stop in Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Choose it for a focused surface encounter rather than expecting a scuba dive at this site.
Target: nurse shark (snorkel)
Ask about: Shark Ray Alley
Nurse sharks as part of a reef dive
Scuba diving
Florida KeysMolasses Reef offers guided scuba trips that include nurse sharks among the local marine life. This is a reef exploration with a chance of sharks, not a guaranteed aggregation.
Target: nurse shark
Ask about: Molasses Reef
Nurse sharks sighting calendar
Calendar months, every year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belize Barrier Reef & AtollsBelizeFeatured encounter: snorkeling | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Florida KeysUnited States | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| British Virgin IslandsBritish Virgin Islands | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Mergui ArchipelagoMyanmar (Burma) | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
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.