Belize · Turneffe
Best Time to Dive in Turneffe, Belize
17.35°N 87.85°W
The best conditions run January to May, when the rain backs off — 9 wet days a month instead of 20. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. The wider season runs December to May.
- Best time
- Jan–May
- Water
- 27–30 °C
- Visibility
- 0–10 m
- Season runs
- Dec–May
- Dived from
- liveaboard and day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.1–0.3 m
- Species logged
- 9
Where it is
| Site | Best months |
|---|---|
| Blue Hole / Lighthouse | Jan–May |
| Turneffe | Jan–May |
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Turneffe, Belize — monthly breakdown
A year of scuba diving conditions at a glance. Hover a month to isolate it.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditions | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Moderate | Excellent | Poor | Good | Poor | Moderate | Excellent |
| Water temp (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 |
| Visibility (m) | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 |
| Marine life | Steady | Steady | Busy | Steady | Busy | Busy | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Busy |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Jan–May
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Turneffe, Belize diving season
August · Off season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 30–30 °C
- Visibility
- under 10 m
- Rain
- 20 days a month
Diving conditionsThe sea is calmer. It rains more.
September · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 30–30 °C
- Visibility
- under 10 m
- Rain
- 22 days a month
Diving conditionsThis is the wet season topside. The sea is calmer. The wind eases.
October to November · Off season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 29–30 °C
- Visibility
- under 10 m
- Rain
- 22 days a month
Diving conditionsThe sea is calmer. It rains more.
December to July · Peak season
8 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 27–29 °C
- Visibility
- under 10 m
- Rain
- 13 days a month
Diving conditionsRain is frequent topside. The sea is rougher. The wind is up.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Belize water temperature and weather
1,386 underwater observation records · 30 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Turneffe, Belize water temperature by month
The dashed line is the monthly average. Eight days in ten fall inside the band.
10th to 90th percentile rangemonthly mean
Rarely
rough enough to cancel
Seas top 2.5 m on under 1% of days. Enough to cancel a liveaboard crossing
3
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
16
wet days a month
4 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.1 m | 12% | 16 | 4 | 27 °C | 11.1 h |
| February | 1.2 m | 15% | 11 | 1 | 27 °C | 11.4 h |
| March | 1.2 m | 13% | 7 | 1 | 27 °C | 11.9 h |
| April | 1.2 m | 13% | 5 | 1 | 28 °C | 12.4 h |
| May | 1.1 m | 8% | 8 | 1 | 29 °C | 12.8 h |
| June | 1.2 m | 18% | 17 | 6 | 29 °C | 13.0 h |
| July | 1.0 m | 4% | 19 | 3 | 29 °C | 12.9 h |
| August | 0.9 m | 3% | 20 | 5 | 29 °C | 12.6 h |
| September | 0.8 m | 2% | 22 | 6 | 30 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 0.9 m | 5% | 23 | 9 | 29 °C | 11.6 h |
| November | 1.0 m | 7% | 22 | 7 | 28 °C | 11.2 h |
| December | 1.1 m | 9% | 21 | 5 | 27 °C | 11.0 h |
Swell is the rough end of the month: nine days in ten come in under it. Sea temperature covers 10 years, waves 4.
Pick your week
48 weeks from the daily record. Darker is better, against this site's own year. Pick a month for the detail.
| Week 1 | January week 1: Excellent | February week 1: Excellent | March week 1: Excellent | April week 1: Excellent | May week 1: Excellent | June week 1: Good | July week 1: Excellent | August week 1: Poor | September week 1: Moderate | October week 1: Poor | November week 1: Moderate | December week 1: Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Excellent | February week 2: Excellent | March week 2: Excellent | April week 2: Excellent | May week 2: Excellent | June week 2: Moderate | July week 2: Excellent | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Good | October week 2: Poor | November week 2: Moderate | December week 2: Excellent |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Excellent | February week 3: Excellent | March week 3: Excellent | April week 3: Excellent | May week 3: Excellent | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Excellent | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Good | October week 3: Poor | November week 3: Good | December week 3: Excellent |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Excellent | February week 4: Excellent | March week 4: Excellent | April week 4: Excellent | May week 4: Good | June week 4: Poor | July week 4: Excellent | August week 4: Poor | September week 4: Excellent | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Moderate | December week 4: Excellent |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of February
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.1 m | 30 km/h | 59% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.0 m | 30 km/h | 61% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.2 m | 30 km/h | 52% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.3 m | 31 km/h | 44% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.1 m | 32 km/h | 42% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.2 m | 33 km/h | 43% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.2 m | 33 km/h | 38% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.2 m | 32 km/h | 25% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.1 m | 31 km/h | 24% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.1 m | 31 km/h | 26% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.2 m | 31 km/h | 25% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.3 m | 33 km/h | 17% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 33 km/h | 12% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 31 km/h | 17% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.1 m | 31 km/h | 20% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.0 m | 31 km/h | 16% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.0 m | 32 km/h | 17% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 31 km/h | 20% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 32 km/h | 26% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 32 km/h | 38% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 32 km/h | 44% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 34 km/h | 54% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 36 km/h | 60% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 34 km/h | 61% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 32 km/h | 58% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 32 km/h | 56% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 30 km/h | 60% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 30 °C | 1.0 m | 30 km/h | 64% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.0 m | 30 km/h | 64% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 30 km/h | 62% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 29 km/h | 69% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 29 km/h | 67% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 28 km/h | 64% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 26 km/h | 71% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 25 km/h | 78% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 24 km/h | 81% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 24 km/h | 79% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 25 km/h | 76% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.0 m | 27 km/h | 73% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 28 km/h | 72% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 27 km/h | 72% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 26 km/h | 75% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 26 km/h | 73% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.0 m | 28 km/h | 63% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.1 m | 29 km/h | 61% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.1 m | 29 km/h | 66% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.0 m | 30 km/h | 73% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.0 m | 30 km/h | 67% |
10 years of daily records, averaged into weeks.
Gear & storms
What to wear
Off the coldest water of each month, not the average — that is what the suit has to cope with.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suit | January: 3 mm | February: 3 mm | March: 3 mm | April: skin | May: skin | June: skin | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: skin |
- Jan–Mar3 mm full suit
- Apr–Decskin or 3 mm shorty
Swell through the year
The rough end of each month — nine days in ten come in under it.
Amber is over 2.5 m.
Tides
Tropical storms
10 of the last 30 Octobers saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded May–Jun, Aug–Nov.
Share of the last 30 years with a storm that month.
- NOAASea surface temperature, from OISST and MUR
- ERA5Wind, waves, rain and air temperature, via Open-Meteo
- OBISMarine species records within 60 km
- IBTrACSTropical cyclone tracks, 1996 to 2025
Turneffe, Belize marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse shark | All year | Near-guaranteed | 305 | ||
| Spotted eagle ray | All year | Near-guaranteed | 138 | ||
| Southern stingray | All year | Near-guaranteed | 162 | ||
| Manatee | All year | Near-guaranteed | 60 | ||
| Green turtle | All year | Near-guaranteed | 67 | ||
| Nassau grouper | All year | Likely | 57 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | All year | Likely | 35 | ||
| Bottlenose dolphin | All year | Likely | 460 | ||
| Loggerhead turtle | Mar, May–Jun, Dec | Likely | 34 |
Peak Present
- Observed window
- Months with records. Peak is where most of them fall.
- Reliability
- Near-guaranteed in 60% of surveyed years or more
- Likely 30% to 60%
- Hit-or-miss under 30%
- Evidence
- Years it was seen, out of the years anyone surveyed.
- Records
- OBIS sightings within 60 km.
These are sightings people logged, not a full survey of the reef. A species missing from a month may just mean nobody recorded one.
Diving Turneffe, Belize — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Turneffe, Belize?
- The best conditions run January to May, when the rain backs off — 9 wet days a month instead of 20. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. The wider season runs December to May.
- When is the diving season in Turneffe, Belize?
- The diving season in Turneffe, Belize runs December to May, and it is at its best January to May.
- Is the diving in Turneffe, Belize good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Turneffe, Belize?
- Between 27 and 30 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in February and warmest in September. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Turneffe, Belize?
- A 3 mm full suit covers the coldest water of the year. In the warmest months a skin or 3 mm shorty is enough.
- What is the visibility like in Turneffe, Belize?
- Roughly 0 to 10 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Turneffe, Belize?
- The most consistently recorded species are Nurse shark (near-guaranteed), Spotted eagle ray (near-guaranteed) and Southern stingray (near-guaranteed), from 1,386 records within 60 km.
- Does Turneffe, Belize get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in May–Jun, Aug–Nov, most often in October at 10 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Turneffe, Belize?
- The tide rises and falls 0.3 m around the full and new moon, against 0.1 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Turneffe, Belize?
- October is the weakest month for conditions.
- How do you dive Turneffe, Belize?
- Mostly from liveaboards and day boats. Trips run through the season, Dec–May.