Caye Caulker, Belize tide times

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived.

Model-derived from a global ocean grid. Useful indication; expect about ±45 minutes on average vs. a local harmonic gauge, individual stations vary widely. See /methodology for per-region detail. Not for navigation.

Conditions as of 17:00 local time. Refreshes daily.

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived. · Not for navigation.

The angler tradition for major/minor fishing windows: major ≈3-hour windows around moon transit and opposition; minor ≈2-hour windows around moonrise and moonset. Times are America/Belize local. Folk tradition, not a scientific forecast.

Caye Caulker is a small flat island 35 km northeast of Belize City, separated from the Belize Barrier Reef by a 1–2 km wide lagoon. The island’s best-known cultural export is the phrase “go slow” — painted on signs, printed on shirts, and articulated by the pace of everything from the water taxis to the bar service. This is not mysticism; it is accurate description of an island that has fewer vehicles, less development, and more hammock time per square metre than its larger neighbour to the north, San Pedro. The island is 8 km long and narrow — the widest point is less than 500 m. The tidal regime is microtidal: spring range 0.2–0.4 m above Chart Datum, mixed semidiurnal, neap range 0.1–0.2 m. The most significant local tidal feature on Caye Caulker is The Split — a narrow channel that cuts entirely through the island near its northern end, created by Hurricane Hattie in 1961. The Split is the primary social space on the island: a sandy shore on the lagoon side with a bar, a swim dock, and clear water for jumping in. At low spring water, the channel narrows from 40 m to approximately 30–32 m and shallows from 2.0–3.5 m to 1.5–2.5 m, reducing the swimming depth toward the north side. The current through The Split on spring tides runs 0.3–0.6 knots, and on the ebb the current pulls eastward toward the reef — a noticeable drift for swimmers. For snorkelling and diving, the operations on Caye Caulker work the same reef system as San Pedro — Hol Chan Marine Reserve is 20 minutes south by boat. The Caye Caulker Marine Reserve wraps around the northern end of the island and covers reef formations between the island and the barrier reef. Snorkel depth in the marine reserve is 1.5–5 m; dive depth on the inner reef is 5–15 m. The same tidal dynamics apply: ebb current through reef passes runs 0.5–1.0 knots and concentrates fish. Most day trips from Caye Caulker run to Hol Chan in the morning and return to the marine reserve around the island in the afternoon. The western (lagoon) shore of Caye Caulker faces toward the Belizean mainland and is where the water taxi dock and the main Front Street commercial strip are located. The lagoon here is 1.5–2.5 km wide and 1.5–3.5 m deep at mid-tide. Small pangas cross the lagoon at all tidal stages. The lagoon bottom in front of the village is sand and turtle grass; green turtles are common in this area, grazing in 1–3 m of water. For paddlers, the calm lagoon west of Caye Caulker is the easiest kayaking water in the area. Tidal current in the open lagoon is 0.1–0.2 knots — negligible. The mangrove channels on the island’s south end are accessible by flat-bottomed kayak on the flood when depth in the narrower channels reaches 0.3–0.6 m. On a spring low, some interior channels drop below 0.2 m and become too shallow for even a kayak; the main outer lagoon-side channels remain navigable. The mangroves support a resident population of small crocodiles (American crocodile, non-aggressive at this scale), visible on the banks at low water when they bask. Bonefish and permit move onto the grass flats on the lagoon side of the island on the flood tide. The flats in 15–40 cm of water on a spring flood are the productive zone. Caye Caulker has far fewer dedicated fly-fishing guides than San Pedro, but a handful of local operators run half-day flat sessions from the village dock. Tarpon are present in the deeper channels at the island’s south end year-round. For photographers, Caye Caulker offers two distinct visual modes: the village itself — painted wood buildings, cats sleeping on steps, the slow morning pace of the main street — and the open-water light at The Split, where the blue lagoon, the reef line to the east, and the mangrove edge frame a clean, low-horizon shot. Sunrise over the reef side (east) catches colour from 06:00; the lagoon-side bar at The Split faces west for sunsets. All tide predictions for Caye Caulker come from the Open-Meteo Marine gridded model. Timing accuracy is ±45 minutes; height accuracy is ±0.3 m above Chart Datum.