Ambergris Caye (San Pedro) · Belize · Reef
Tackle Box
Canyons, caverns and tunnels under ten minutes from the pier
Area photo: Subhashish Panigrahi · CC BY-SA 4.0
A short boat run from San Pedro's piers — under ten minutes — Tackle Box is a very popular Ambergris Caye dive, a stretch of reef broken into canyons, caverns and tunnels with an average depth of 22 m. Divers come for the terrain and what lives in it: lobsters and eels in the recesses, schools of jacks over the reef, and nurse sharks dozing on the bottom.
Also known as Tuckle Bucket Canyon.
Where it is and how deep
17.9060° N, 87.9567° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The run out is one of the shortest on the island, under ten minutes from San Pedro, and you drop straight onto a reef with an average depth of 22 m. From there the dive is a slow tour through the cuts — canyons, caverns and tunnels with plenty of recesses to poke a light into — and with no current recorded at the site, the navigation stays simple.
The life matches the terrain: lobsters and eels sit in the overhangs and holes, the macro subjects reward divers who slow down for them, and schools of jacks work the water over the reef. Nurse sharks dozing on the bottom are a common sight here too. The site's maximum is 34 m, so watch your depth inside the cuts and finish the dive back up on the reef top before your ascent.
Marine life and season
- Macro critters
- Trevally & jacks
- Reef sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows Ambergris Caye (San Pedro): Dry season December–May with the least rain in February–March; wet-season storms, peaking September–October, can suspend diving for two or three days. Thimble jellyfish spawn in May.
Know before you go
- The site's maximum of 34 m is beyond Open Water depth limits — agree a maximum with your guide and watch your computer inside the cuts.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Tackle Box?+
The average depth is 22 m and the site's maximum is 34 m, so although it is listed for all divers, the full profile sits in Advanced Open Water territory.
Sources
- Tackle Box — Scubago
- Tuckle Bucket Canyon — wannadive.net
- Belize Ambergris Caye diving sites — dive-the-world.com
More dive sites in Ambergris Caye (San Pedro)
Wreck
A small unnamed wreck at 15–22 m, home to morays and coneys
Reef
Narrow sand-floored cuts dropping fast between coral spurs
Reef
Spur-and-groove formations in the 18–24 m band
Reef
A no-current reef that works for snorkellers and divers alike
About 100 shallow patch reefs of boulder coral in 2.5–5 m
Reef
Finger canyons off San Pedro working from 18 m down to 40 m
Nurse sharks and southern stingrays at arm's length in 3 m
Spur furrows plowing from a 15 m reef down to 35 m
Similar dives elsewhere
A cave under the overhangs, and reef sharks out in the blue
A 22–29 m reef with a small wreck, the island's deep-training site
Splendid toadfish, nurse sharks and turtles along the coral
Up to ten reef sharks over a 15 m patch reef