The white shark is one of the few animals that do not leave anyone indifferent, each of us feel something for this predator. From hatred and fear to utter admiration, love and attraction for his incredible strength and perfection. For the lovers of the great white, there is a place in the world that seems designed to fulfill his dream: Guadalupe Island.
Guadalupe Island, Mexico owned and located nearly 150 miles off of Baja California, in the Pacific, is a white shark sanctuary. Up to 108 white sharks have been recorded by this uninhabited island that was declared Nature Reserve in 1925 and in 2005 obtained the status of Biosphere Reserve. Filled with a breadth of animals, from sea lions to endemic birds species, bluefin tuna, large schools of mackerel, skipjacks or wahoo, lots of species visit this island throughout the year. But no one is able to snatch the spotlight of the great white.
We have the idea that these large sharks can only be seen in Australia or South Africa, overlooking this diving destination, which offers the best conditions for great white sharks diving. Not only because of its quantity, both visibility, up to 40 meters, and temperature, with an average of 70 degrees, makes Guadalupe the perfect destination to fulfill the dream of many… that is a nightmare for most.
You don’t need to be an expert diver to dive with great whites. In cages with a 360 degree view, for up to three or four people, below 10 meters of the surface, you will spend hours learning about these predators, see how they approach you, try the bait and allow you to get some of the most extraordinary photographs that you can get underwater. When you get in the cage you would dive with not one or two but up to 5 sharks simultaneously that will reach to you! Also, if you have the experience and are couragious enough, you can even get out of the cage and dive with them face to face.
Guadalupe white sharks have been studied for decades. Both local and international scientists, through conservation programs by the Mexican government, travel to Guadalupe to tag and study their behaviour and migration patterns. The respect for these animals, who come year after year to this island, is complete. Even the guides have named this sharks and know the personality of each one of them. Some are shy, curious, elusive, sociable; some react to noises, others are indifferent to human presence…
Diving with great sharks in Guadalupe is an experience that leaves no one indifferent, a burst of adrenaline that will give you a new image of white sharks and help eliminate the label of bloodthirsty man-eating animals that these extraordinary animals have, and that are necessary for the good health of the ocean.
