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A school of hammerhead sharks at Gordo Banks, Baja California Sur

Gordo Banks



PELAGIC SCUBA DIVING IN CABO SAN LUCAS

The Place to Dive with Hammerhead Sharks in Cabo

A Blue Water Deep Dive for Advanced Divers

Gordo Banks offers the definitive pelagic diving experience in Cabo San Lucas. This site attracts exceptional marine life, including jacks, rays, and seasonal humpback whales. The undisputed star is the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), which schools around these seamounts. When conditions align, they can be seen at depths ideal for recreational diving, offering unforgettable encounters.

When the water is warmer, silky sharks are another characteristic sighting, patrolling the area from mid-depth to the safety stop. Although sightings vary daily, Gordo Banks offers some of the best opportunities in Los Cabos to encounter these pelagics in their natural habitat.

Gordo Banks: the dive site

Gordo Banks is a seamount where the inner bank rises to 35 meters, surrounded by canyons and black coral. This topography serves as a natural corridor for hammerheads, silkies, tope sharks, and jacks. While the inner bank provides structure, the outer bank drops into the abyss starting at over 60 meters. Here, we dive without a visual reference of the bottom, searching the entire water column for sharks, rays, marlin, turtles, sea lions, or whatever chooses to cross our path that day.

Every descent is different. Depending on the currents and thermoclines, we search the entire water column for sharks, rays, marlin, turtles, sea lions, or whatever crosses our path. Marine life may stay deep or ascend toward the surface; this unpredictability is what makes this the most exciting dive in Los Cabos.

School of silky sharks congregating over Gordo Banks sea mount
Mobula ray in deep blue water at Gordo Banks, Cabo San Lucas

Requirements & Safety

Due to its offshore location, Gordo Banks is an advanced-level pelagic dive. It is ideal for experienced divers who are comfortable in deep water without visual references. With potentially strong currents and open-ocean drifting, excellent buoyancy control and proper air management are essential.

For this reason, participation is limited to Advanced Open Water certified divers with a minimum of 40 logged dives. To ensure your safety, it is a requirement to have completed recent dives with us; this allows us to evaluate your buoyancy, air consumption, and overall readiness before heading to Gordo Banks.

A large school of Scalloped Hammerhead sharks hovering over the Gordo Banks seamount in Cabo San Lucas

Includes

  • 2 DIVES, TANKS AND WEIGHTS

  • 1 DSMB PER DIVER

  • SMALL GROUPS

  • WATER, SODAS & LIGHT SNACKS

  • REEF FRIENDLY SUNSCREEN & TOWELS

Add-ons

  • Scuba gear: full 800 MXN · item 300 MXN

  • Nitrox · 300 MXN

  • Private guide or private trip

Silky shark swimming with scuba divers at Gordo Banks, Cabo San Lucas

4800 MXN

6-hour trip

Price pp (min. 3 guests)
AM departure

Price

What to Expect

  • Possible strong currents.

  • August – January: Warmer water & peak visibility.

  • February – July: Strong currents & thermoclines.

  • Wildlife sightings not guaranteed.

Before You Go

  • At least 40 logged dives.

  • AOW diver certification.

  • Previous dive with us.

  • 18 years old minimum.

What to Bring

  • Swimsuit, sunglasses, and a hat or cap.

  • Sweater or jacket.

  • Underwater camera.​

  • If prone to seasickness, take your medication before.

What´s Not Included

  • Dive gear.

  • Personal travel or medical insurance.

  • Gratuities for captain and crew.

GALLERY

Gordo Banks Scuba FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

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