Woodlands Bay, Montserrat 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 18:00 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/Montserrat local. Folk tradition, not a scientific forecast.

Woodlands Bay is a west-facing beach on Montserrat's leeward coast, approximately 5 kilometres south of Little Bay and north of the exclusion zone boundary. The bay is a quiet, dark volcanic sand beach — the andesitic and basaltic geology of the island produces the characteristic dark sand found throughout Montserrat's beaches in contrast to the white coral-sand beaches of the flat limestone islands to the north. The beach is backed by the vegetation of the Centre Hills, one of the island's primary forest areas, and the offshore reef is one of the most intact sections of the Montserrat west coast. The tidal regime at Woodlands Bay is Caribbean mixed semidiurnal, spring range 0.3 to 0.5 metres — microtidal. The west-facing leeward coast is sheltered from the northeast Atlantic trades; the bay is calm in all but unusual weather conditions. Two unequal high tides and two unequal low tides per day. The small tidal range means the beach is swimmable and the reef is accessible for snorkelling across the full tidal cycle without meaningful state planning. Woodlands Bay is one of the safest and most reliable beaches in northern Montserrat for general coastal access. The beach length is approximately 250 metres; a small parking area at the road end gives direct access. The Centre Hills forest behind the beach is habitat for the Montserrat oriole — a bright yellow and black bird endemic to the island and classified as critically endangered after the volcanic crisis reduced its forest habitat significantly. The bird is present in the Centre Hills; bird watchers making a specific trip to Montserrat typically combine the coast with a guided Centre Hills forest walk. The reef directly offshore from Woodlands Bay is the most practically accessible snorkelling site on the north Montserrat coast. Entry is directly from the beach; the reef structure begins within 30 to 40 metres. Hawksbill turtles feed on the sea grass between the coral heads; green turtles are also present. The fish density on this reef is notably higher than most comparable Leeward Islands sites, reflecting the extremely low boat traffic and the absence of the commercial diving pressure that affects well-known sites in Antigua and Saint Kitts. The reef has not recovered uniformly from Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and subsequent storms, but the sections with structural integrity are excellent. For the 2021 Montserrat volcanic monitoring updates: Woodlands Bay sits outside the exclusion zone, firmly in the accessible northern section of the island. The volcanic dome and the buried Plymouth are visible from elevated positions above the exclusion zone boundary, approximately 3 kilometres south of Woodlands. The beach itself has no direct view of the volcano; the Centre Hills forest ridge interrupts the sightline. Swimming from Woodlands Bay is safe and calm in normal conditions. The beach has no facilities beyond the parking area and a small picnic table; bring your own supplies. The island's limited commercial infrastructure means this is a self-sufficient beach experience. Water quality is excellent; Montserrat's minimal coastal development means no significant coastal runoff. Tide predictions for Woodlands Bay come from Open-Meteo Marine, a global gridded ocean model. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 metres on height. The Centre Hills are the primary habitat for Montserrat's extraordinary biological concentration: alongside the Montserrat oriole, the hills support three other endemic or highly restricted bird species — the Montserrat galliwasp (a lizard), the mountain chicken (actually a large frog, Leptodactylus fallax, listed as critically endangered), and the Montserrat ash snake. The mountain chicken population on Montserrat is one of the last viable populations of the species after chytrid fungus disease devastated the frog across its Caribbean range. Guided natural history walks in the Centre Hills above Woodlands Bay offer the best access to these species.