Island Expedition Guide: Discovering Guadalupe
Experience Thrilling White Shark Encounters at Guadalupe Island
Guadalupe Island, located approximately 150 miles off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, offers an unforgettable experience for those seeking close encounters with great white sharks. This remote destination is a popular spot for cage diving, with liveaboard boats providing the perfect base for a 5-6 day adventure, featuring about 3 days of diving.
Divers can safely observe and photograph these majestic creatures in crystal-clear waters, often witnessing their feeding and mating behaviors. The diving style includes cage diving from liveaboard boats, as well as the unique use of SPOCs (self-propelled ocean cages), which allow divers to move alongside sharks underwater. Tuna heads or tails are used as bait to attract sharks close to the cages without actually feeding them.
The best time to visit Guadalupe Island for this exhilarating experience is from July to November. Early in the season (July-August), many younger male sharks arrive, with larger males appearing in late September, and the biggest females in October when the weather changes. The peak months for visibility and shark activity are August to October, especially for seeing energetic male sharks.
However, it's important to note that since January 2023, the Mexican government has banned great white shark tourism at Guadalupe Island to protect the shark population and marine ecosystem, so cage diving trips there are currently not operating.
During the dives, divers enter sturdy cages lowered into the water, with rotations taking place to ensure each diver gets approximately 3-4 45-minute dives per day. The water temperature is generally 70-75°F (21-24°C), but can drop to cooler conditions around 20°C (68°F) during the peak season. A 7mm suit or drysuit is recommended to cope with the cold.
Underwater photography enthusiasts should bring fisheye or rectilinear lenses, short stroke arms, and use strobes on manual power, low power, with diffusers to help avoid hot spots on great white shark bellies. Fast shutter speeds are recommended, at least 1/125th of a second.
Sea lions and baitfish may occasionally be seen in Guadalupe Island, adding to the diverse marine life spectacle. However, sea-sickness can be an issue during the boat ride to the island, so it's advisable to bring necessary medication.
Guadalupe Island is reached by a day's boat ride from Ensenada, California, after arriving in San Diego. This once-in-a-lifetime experience gives an unparalleled chance to safely observe great whites in clear water while supporting research, but currently, the experience is suspended due to conservation efforts.
References:
- Bluewater Travel
- Dive the World
- PADI
- Guadalupe Island, a remote destination off the coast of Baja California, is renowned for its thrilling cage diving trips that allow divers to encounter great white sharks.
- These encounters often involve divers safely observing the sharks' feeding and mating behaviors in crystal-clear bluewater, using SPOCs or liveaboard boats.
- Divers can capture these moments with underwater photography, employing fisheye or rectilinear lenses, short stroke arms, and strobes on manual power, low power, with diffusers, using fast shutter speeds.
- Shark enthusiasts might also spot sea lions and baitfish during their dive, adding to the island's diverse marine life spectacle.
- However, due to conservation efforts, cage diving trips at Guadalupe Island have been temporarily suspended since January 2023, as the Mexican government works to protect the shark population and marine ecosystem.
- Despite the current suspension, a day's boat ride from Ensenada, California, after arriving in San Diego, still offers an unparalleled opportunity to safely observe great white sharks in clear water while supporting research, even if the experience is on hold for now.
