Guadalupe Island: Great White Shark

Guadalupe Island is a volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean, located 240 km off the west coast of the Mexican peninsula of Baja California and 400 km southwest of the city of Ensenada in the state of Baja California. The island is 35 km long and 9.5 km wide. The island has a warm and dry climate, with most of its precipitation falling in the winter months. Guadalupe's rugged landscape is formed by two ancient volcanoes. The volcanic ridge rises to an altitude of 1,220 m above sea level.

The island has a population of about 150 people (2008). They are mainly fishermen living in the small village of Campo Weste in the western part of the island. There are only 15 buildings in the village. Abalone, lobster and holothurians (sea cucumbers) are caught here. Campo Weste is located on the shore of a bay, so it is protected from the strong winds and tides that are typical for the island in the winter months. In addition to Campo Weste, there are several temporary fishing bases on the island: Campo Norte (four buildings), Campo Lima (one building) and Arroitos (four buildings). On the east coast of the island there is another abandoned fishing village - Campo Este. In 1999, the fishing base Campo Bosque was founded in the cypress forests in the northern part of the island. It is home to members of a farming cooperative community that takes goats from the island, which destroy its natural vegetation, and sells them in the state of Sonora, with the permission of the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources and the support of the Secretariat of the Navy. In the center of the island there is a small airport with a 1,200-meter runway. It is rarely used. Near the airport there is the Capmo Pista base. At the southern end of the island there is a meteorological station.

Ecology of the island

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Russians and Americans often came to Guadalupe Island to hunt fur seals. As a result, by the mid-19th century, this species was almost extinct here. Northern elephant seals were also mercilessly exterminated on the island because of their valuable subcutaneous fat. In 1884 they were already considered completely extinct, but in 1892 a remnant population of eight individuals was discovered by an expedition of the Smithsonian Institution, whose members immediately killed seven of them for their collection. The elephant seals managed to survive, and in 1922 they were finally taken under protection by the Mexican government. All elephant seals currently living on the island have a common male ancestor.

The vegetation of Guadalupe Island was represented by evergreen chaparral shrubs and forests, but almost all the vegetation of the island was destroyed by 100 thousand wild goats, which were originally brought here in the 19th century by Russian whale and seal hunters. After some time, the wild goat population decreased to several thousand heads, and later began to slowly grow. Since 1928, Guadalupe Island has received the status of a protected natural reserve, it is one of the oldest reserves in Mexico. In June 2005, the Mexican government finally removed almost all remaining wild goats from the island, and Guadalupe was designated a biosphere reserve.

Swimming with a Great White Shark

Guadalupe is considered one of the best places in the world to observe great white sharks, largely due to the large population of pinnipeds on which they feed. In terms of the number of great white sharks and the conditions for observing them, Guadalupe surpasses both South Africa and Australia. Visibility often reaches 45 meters. Water temperature: 18-21 °C. Accordingly, here are very favorable conditions for photographing and filming sharks.

Guadalupe Liveaboards

Regular liveaboards are 5 nights and 6 days with unlimited diving with sharks. The cages close at 5:00 PM on the last day of the safari and the boat heads home. Combo Guadalupe tours are also available for 10 and 15 nights. The 10-night tour combines shark diving on the island with diving in the kelp forests of the California Channel Islands, San Benito and other remote Pacific islands of Baja California. November 15-night tours include Guadalupe, San Benitos and Socorro.

Diving is done with an external breathing apparatus. Cage dives last about 30 minutes and certified divers are expected to do 3 dives per day. You can stay in a surface or semi-submerged cell for as long as you like.

Season

The Great White Shark Season at Guadalupe Island runs from July to November. The best time is September and October.

Safari Yachts

• Nautilus Explorer. Category: Luxury. Built: 2000, Vancouver, British Columbia. Length: 35 m. Width: 8 m. Cabins: 13. Capacity: 26 passengers.

• Nautilus Undersea. The research vessel Undersea Hunter was built in 1968 in Florida, USA, and was used for 20 years as a submarine support vessel. Working mainly in the Bahamas and the Caribbean, the yacht carried out hundreds of research and photographic missions, including a deep-sea project with Dr. Sylvia Earl. The vessel also provided support for the filming of James Bond. Licence to Kill. Undersea Hunter was sold in 1990 and completely rebuilt as a comfortable liveaboard. Today it is used mainly for special projects. The vessel is ideal for charter accommodation of a group of divers. Since autumn 2016, the vessel under the new name Nautilus Undersea has joined the Mexican fleet of Nautilus and carries out safaris to the islands of Guadalupe and Socorro. The vessel has undergone a complete renovation, as a result of which 6 new cabins for 14 people, as well as new stabilizers, appeared.