Ambergris Caye (San Pedro) · Belize · Reef
Tres Cocos Canyons
Spur furrows plowing from a 15 m reef down to 35 m
Area photo: Subhashish Panigrahi · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tres Cocos Canyons sits directly outside the Tres Cocos cut, about 3 km north of San Pedro, and is one of the deepest dives at Ambergris: a shallower reef section at 15 m with spur furrows plowing down to 35 m. Scubago rates it beginner-level with a mooring ball and mild current, but the depth is what defines it.
Also known as Three Coconuts.
Where it is and how deep
17.9303° N, 87.9402° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The site lies 2 miles (3 km) north of San Pedro, directly outside the Tres Cocos cut, and the boat picks up a mooring ball rather than anchoring. You drop onto the shallower reef section at about 15 m, which is where the easy diving is — the current, if there is any, is usually very mild and comes from the north.
Seaward of the reef section the character changes: this is one of the deepest sites at Ambergris, with the spurs plowing furrows down to 35 m. How much of that you use is a planning decision — the furrows reward a deliberate deep leg early in the dive, followed by the rest of the time back on the 15 m reef, and the mooring line gives you a fixed reference for the ascent.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| 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.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Tres Cocos Canyons?+
The shallower reef section sits at about 15 m and the spur furrows drop to 35 m, making it one of the deepest sites at Ambergris Caye.
Sources
- Tres Cocos Canyons — Scubago
- 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
Reef
Canyons, caverns and tunnels under ten minutes from the pier
Similar dives elsewhere
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Coral in 6 m a short swim off the beach, wall to 43 m
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