San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Tuffy Canyons

Tuffy Canyons lies on the seaward side of the barrier reef directly opposite San Pedro and is one of the most-dived sites out of Ambergris Caye. The reef top sits at 12 metres and is cut by a sequence of canyons running perpendicular to the wall, with sand floors between 18 and 25 metres. The canyon walls and reef shoulders carry the typical Caribbean wall flora: barrel sponges, vase sponges, deep-water sea fans, plate corals and pillar coral. Resident fish include big midnight parrotfish, queen angelfish, French angelfish, large mutton snappers, schoolmaster snappers and big horse-eye jacks. Spotted moray eels, green morays, lobsters and banded coral shrimp are easy macro subjects in the cracks. Hawksbill turtles and southern stingrays are common. Caribbean reef sharks patrol the wall on the outside of the canyons. Currents are usually moderate and visibility 20 to 30 metres. A staple of the two-tank morning trips offered by every operator on Ambergris Caye.