Buccoo Reef
Trinidad · Trinidad and Tobago
Buccoo Reef is Trinidad and Tobago's most celebrated coral lagoon, a shallow protected system where brain and staghorn corals form dense gardens patrolled by hawksbill turtles and green morays. The calm, clear lagoon interior shelters juvenile fish in huge numbers — snapper, grunt, and French angelfish move through in loose shoals while nurse sharks rest in sandy pockets beneath coral heads. Because of its marine park status the reef shows genuine recovery, with coral cover noticeably healthier than many Caribbean counterparts.
Conditions
Depth
3 to 18 m
Good for beginners
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
8 to 15 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
24 to 29°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 15 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Trinidad Motmot
Last confirmed Jul 7, 2026 · 34 records
Very likely
Most dives
Rufous-Vented Chachalaca
Last confirmed Jul 6, 2026 · 24 records
Very likely
Most dives
Tropical Mockingbird
Last confirmed Jul 7, 2026 · 29 records
Very likely
Most dives
Anhinga
Last confirmed Jun 1, 2026 · 37 records
Very likely
Most dives
Barred Antshrike
Last confirmed Jul 8, 2026 · 28 records
Very likely
Most dives
Hawksbill Turtle
Last confirmed Dec 23, 2024 · 2 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
French Angelfish
Last confirmed Jun 7, 2026 · 3 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Nurse Shark
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear