Dive with
Best places to dive with Caribbean reef shark
Carcharhinus perezi
The most commonly encountered reef shark on Belize's walls, a stocky requiem shark that cruises the drop-offs and rests on sandy bottoms. Seen on the Lighthouse Reef walls and among the sharks that patrol the depths of the Blue Hole.
Destinations ranked by how reliably caribbean reef shark is seen. The bars show the likelihood by month — never a guarantee. See the full species page for more.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident on the atoll's reefs year-round; no seasonal peak. IUCN reassessed the species as Endangered in 2020, with steep declines documented off Belize and Cuba.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Reliable year-round at the bait sites; operator counts of 20 or more on a dive are commonly reported. Numbers reflect the baited setup rather than natural density on open sand.