San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Cypress Canyons

Cypress Canyons is a network of deep, narrow swim-throughs and tunnels carved into the Belize Barrier Reef off Ambergris Caye, between Tackle Box and Mata Cut. The reef top sits in 12 to 15 metres, and the canyons drop to sand floors at 25 to 30 metres before opening out onto the deeper wall. The tunnels are draped with deep-water sea fans, sponges, black coral and gorgonians, with sunlight beams piercing through holes in the reef roof. Schools of grunts and snappers congregate inside the larger chambers, and divers regularly find spotted morays, green morays, lobsters, banded coral shrimp and king crabs in the cracks. Above the canyons hawksbill turtles, large midnight parrotfish, big mutton snappers and occasional Caribbean reef sharks cruise the reef. Currents are moderate and visibility ranges from 20 to 30 metres. Cypress is one of the favourite advanced sites out of San Pedro and works best on rising tide, when the canyons fill with clear water from the wall.