Guadalupe Island is a volcanic island 150 miles off the west coast of Baja California and outperforms every other great white shark destination with shark-seeing consistency and beautiful diving conditions.

 

Great white shark encounters at Guadalupe Island are nothing short of spectacular. Guadalupe feels like a remote outpost at the end of the earth but is actually incredibly easy to get to. The Nautilus trips meet in San Diego, California with coach transfers to Ensenada, Mexico. It’s the best destination in the world for calm, clear water and a consistently high probability of multiple shark encounters per day.

 

The sheer number of animals in the bay is jaw-dropping amazing. You will see two to three on most dives. The bay itself is home to 206 recognised individuals ranging from 12 to 19 feet long! At times, they have seen as many as nine sharks on one dive—and that’s because Guadalupe is just the sort of place where magic regularly happens in the water.

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Even the island itself, 180 miles from the Mexico coastline, seems magical. The coast of Guadalupe is 25 miles of rocky cliffs, but above this is dense forest, giving it the feel of an exotic, South Pacific destination. You can expect between 125 and 150 feet of visibility. You can literally see the sharks come in from beyond the anchor line. Nothing but clear, cobalt blue water.

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Through our preferred dive operator Nautilus Liveaboards, all certified divers will have the opportunity for a minimum of three dives per day in the submersible cages—and your trip includes the opportunity for unlimited time in the surface cages. Dive masters are in the water during every submersible-cage dive to ensure your safety. Note that the surface cages open at 6:30 a.m., and diving in the submersible cages begins at 8 a.m. Both are available until dusk.

 

It is the overall aim of Nautilus to keep their guests safe, and also to protect our growing shark population. To that end, they teach and ask for responsible shark interactions that do not impact or change the behaviour of these magnificent animals. Nautilus does not use oil, chum or blood. A piece of tuna, wrapped in a burlap sack, is all the sharks need to know that you have arrived.

 

The conservation efforts of Nautilus also continue at night when you will kick back in the salon and identify who you spent the day with. And should you realise that you hung out with a great white shark not yet catalogued, yes, the naming rights are all yours.