Explore Gordo Banks
Diving at Gordo Banks is challenging, but extremely rewarding. With a max depth of 40-45m and rough surface ocean conditions, this dive is meant for experienced divers only. Once you descend below the surface, however, you will feel like you’ve been frozen in time with nothing but blue around you as you wait for curious hammerhead sharks and other pelagic megafauna to swim your way.
The seamounts that this dive site is centered on are also part of the attraction of this site. The tops of the seamounts are an exciting landscape to explore: deep cracks, canyons, sponges, and black coral are some of the highlights.
While many liveaboard dive operations depart from Cabo San Lucas, which is approximately 20km from Gordo Banks on the tip of Baja California, the majority of them have the destination of Guadalupe Island or Socorro Island. Since Gordo Banks is only a 1.5 hour boat ride from shore, diving via liveaboard dive boat is not necessary, and most local dive shops and resorts offer daily trips to this site.
Dive Activity
Diving in Gordo Banks
Diving at Gordo Banks is primarily a deep dive. The top of the shallowest seamount is at approximately 40m depth, which means that divers must be at least Advanced Open Water certified. Due to the strong currents and rough ocean conditions, it is also recommended that divers have at least 100 logged dives before attempting to dive Gordo Banks.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Gordo Banks
Though not guaranteed, Gordo Banks is best known for its schools of hammerhead sharks. Due to the site’s offshore location, other open-ocean species such as mackerel, tuna, jack, snapper, groupers, eagle rays, cow-nose rays, manta rays, silky sharks, and whale sharks can be spotted here as well. The megafauna are more likely encountered during the cooler months.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
601 Sightings
J
52
F
39
M
50
A
33
M
28
J
49
J
54
A
33
S
49
O
63
N
63
D
88
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 7
iStock-Michael Zeigler
Sea Lion
479 Sightings
J
47
F
40
M
38
A
14
M
18
J
2
J
7
A
28
S
58
O
52
N
81
D
94
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 300
Alamy/Reinhard Dirscherl
Octopus
113 Sightings
J
12
F
6
M
0
A
0
M
6
J
7
J
14
A
13
S
9
O
10
N
11
D
25
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 25
iStock/Juliosanjuan
Eagle Ray
91 Sightings
J
0
F
9
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
2
J
14
A
6
S
17
O
4
N
19
D
20
iStock-crisod
Reef Manta Ray
60 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
2
M
0
J
9
J
12
A
9
S
12
O
7
N
0
D
9
AdobeStock-Magnus
Humpback Whale
41 Sightings
J
13
F
4
M
6
A
2
M
2
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
3
O
3
N
2
D
6
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 600
iStock/ultramarinfoto
Wrasse
39 Sightings
J
0
F
17
M
5
A
0
M
2
J
0
J
10
A
1
S
0
O
4
N
0
D
0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 130
AdobeStock-JirinaVFR
Pufferfish
656 Sightings
J
57
F
52
M
63
A
39
M
43
J
53
J
53
A
39
S
46
O
50
N
69
D
92
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 90
Shutterstock-Rich Carey
Angelfish
444 Sightings
J
42
F
48
M
42
A
20
M
25
J
34
J
34
A
33
S
48
O
32
N
34
D
52
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 100
iStock-burnsboxco
Parrotfish
339 Sightings
J
30
F
29
M
25
A
16
M
19
J
18
J
27
A
22
S
36
O
28
N
37
D
52
The best Months do dive in Gordo Banks
While waters are warmest during the window of June through November (about 27°C/80°F), this overlaps with hurricane season, which can easily cut short or cancel many dive trips. The cooler months, i.e., December through March, are the best time to visit if seeing pelagic species such as hammerhead sharks and manta rays is your main objective. These cooler waters attract plankton, which in turn attract the pelagic megafauna.
