🇲🇽 Huatulco Secrets
Huatulco sits at Stage 2 of the run — Oaxaca, Mexico. Every hidden artifact, message in a bottle, and legendary catch in this world is documented below with YouTube timestamps and pickup walkthroughs.
Huatulco is Stage 2 of Scale the Depths, a sunken Mesoamerican ruin off Oaxaca, Mexico. Unlike Loch Ness, you can't just descend and sweep — the level is gated by block-and-pressure-plate door puzzles, and its collectables are split across three separate route sections. Miss one plate and you'll backtrack the whole level. This guide follows the safe 100% order: opening pickups → pressure-plate doors → middle artifact chain → switches → late collectables → Hoga, the legendary fish.
⊞ Door Puzzle Solutions
Huatulco's doors open when you push a block fully onto a pressure plate. The route uses four plate directions — southwest, southeast, straight-south and west — and similar-looking rooms repeat, so check which door actually opens each time.
Stand on the opposite side of the block and push it diagonally onto the lower-left plate. The block must cover the plate, not just touch its edge.
If stuck: Nudge the block farther on, pause a beat, then check the route.
Push the block from the centre of the room toward the lower-right plate, keeping it aligned rather than shoving from an angle.
If stuck: Recenter the block — half-on/half-off is the usual culprit.
Push the block directly down onto the bottom plate. Don't shove sideways unless the room later asks for the west plate.
If stuck: Confirm you're on the correct south plate — Huatulco reuses similar rooms.
After the Red Switch area, push the block left until it fully covers the west plate.
If stuck: Don't blame the Red Switch first — check the block is centred on the west plate.
◇ 100% Route — In Order
- Opening route
Grab the first messages, the boat blueprint and the first money chest before the puzzle doors become the main route.
Tip: Clear opening items first so you don't backtrack through the puzzle section later.
- Southwest plate
Push the block onto the lower-left pressure plate to open the first door.
Tip: Cover the plate fully or the door won't trigger.
- Southeast plate
Move the block onto the lower-right plate for the next door.
Tip: Center it before leaving.
- Early side pocket
Grab the first cosmetic in the small side pocket after the first door sequence.
Tip: Cosmetics count toward full completion.
- Straight-south door
Push the block straight down onto the south plate.
Tip: Check which door opens — the pattern repeats.
- First artifact pocket
Collect the Quetzalcoatl Statue — your first major Huatulco artifact.
Tip: Start tracking artifacts from here.
- Middle route
Open the money chest, solve another south-plate step, hit the Red Switch and use the west plate.
Tip: This opens the dense artifact-and-bait chain.
- Dense artifact chain
Collect a message, the Rubber Ball, the Aztec Sun Stone and the Shark Tooth bait — they sit close together.
Tip: Find one, then sweep the nearby path before moving on.
- Shortcut + cosmetic
Hit the Yellow Switch, then grab the second cosmetic in the side pocket before Blue Switch 1/2.
Tip: This is the most-skipped cosmetic — the switch route pulls you past it.
- Blue switch route
Activate Blue Switch 1/2 and 2/2, grab the nearby message, then pick up the Coffee Cup artifact.
Tip: Don't leave Blue Switch 2/2 without the nearby bottle.
- Late collection
Pick up the Pouch bait, the boat decal and the cloth chest.
Tip: Pouch and the boat decal are the most common late misses.
- Legendary fish
Head to the final deep route, catch Hoga and prep it carefully.
Tip: Do Hoga last — don't chase it before collectables are done.
▣ Artifacts
After the straight-south pressure plate, in the first major artifact pocket.
The Feathered Serpent — your first Huatulco artifact.
After the later door-puzzle section, shortly after a message in a bottle.
Part of the dense middle artifact route.
Near the Rubber Ball, just before the Shark Tooth bait.
Often missed if you grab one middle item and rush to the shortcut.
After Blue Switch 2/2 and its nearby message, in the late artifact pocket.
The final artifact-style pickup before the late bait-and-boat route.
🐟 Legendary Fish — Hoga
Where:Huatulco's final deep route, after the puzzle chain and late collection path.
- Reach Hoga only after Pouch, the boat decal and the cloth chest are done — make it a clean, dedicated run.
- Hoga moves in wider arcs than normal fish and commits to its path. Keep your hook ahead of where it's moving, not where it just was.
- The fight punishes weak hook damage — if it drags on, upgrade hook or line before retrying.
- Don't start with a nearly full bag; go in light so you have time and line to keep pressure.
- Pan the camera to see the full long body before you start.
- Work across the body in controlled passes, not fast swipes.
- Slow down around fins, head edges and tight highlighted sections.
- Don't rush the final cuts just because most of the bar is full — Hoga's size makes sloppy knife work costly.
⚠ Common Mistakes
Fix:Center the block on the exact plate and wait for the route to open — a block that only touches the edge can make the puzzle feel bugged.
Fix:Huatulco's artifacts are in several route sections — track Quetzalcoatl Statue, Rubber Ball, Aztec Sun Stone and Coffee Cup separately.
Fix:Shark Tooth (middle route) and Pouch (late route) both count toward bait completion.
Fix:Catch Hoga after the puzzles, switches and late items — otherwise you repeat the route for missed collectables.
☑ 100% Checklist
- All messages in bottles
- Boat blueprint
- Both cosmetics
- Quetzalcoatl Statue
- Rubber Ball
- Aztec Sun Stone
- Coffee Cup
- Shark Tooth bait
- Pouch bait
- Red Switch shortcut
- Yellow Switch shortcut
- Blue Switch 1/2 and 2/2
- Boat decal
- Cloth chest
- Hoga caught and prepped
⌕ Common Questions
What should I do if the Huatulco door doesn't open?
First check the block is fully centred on the pressure plate — if it only touches the edge, the door may not trigger. If it still won't open, check whether the room wants a different plate direction: southwest, southeast, straight-south or west.
Where is the Quetzalcoatl Statue?
After the early pressure-plate route, in the first major artifact pocket after the straight-south door step.
Where is the Aztec Sun Stone?
In the dense middle route, near the Rubber Ball and just before the Shark Tooth bait. If you find one of the three, slow down and sweep the nearby path.
Where is Hoga, the Huatulco legendary fish?
In the final deep route after the puzzle chain and late collection path. Clear Pouch, the boat decal and the cloth chest before making Hoga your final target.
How do I catch Hoga?
Hoga moves in wider arcs than normal fish and is less forgiving if your hook or line is weak. Stay ahead of its movement path instead of chasing every turn, and upgrade hook or line if the fight drags.
The real Huatulco — and the Aztec gods on its artifacts
Huatulco is a stretch of nine bays on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, Mexico — in the game, a drowned ruin studded with Mesoamerican artifacts. Two of its collectables nod straight to Aztec belief: the Quetzalcoatl Statue depicts the 'Feathered Serpent,' a central Mesoamerican deity of wind, Venus, learning and the priesthood whose worship spread across the region from the first century AD; the Aztec Sun Stone echoes the famous carved basalt calendar disc of Tenochtitlan. Even the legendary fish, Texcocichthys hoga, takes its name from Lake Texcoco, the vanished lake the Aztec capital was built on — a fitting catch for a Mexican ruin.