Season: August to February
This is when ocean conditions meet our standards for visibility, safety, and pelagic activity
Scuba Diving at Gordo Banks
Sharks & Pelagic Adventure
Why Gordo Banks
Gordo Banks puts you within easy reach of true pelagic diving from Cabo San Lucas. This offshore seamount draws uncommon big life: jacks, mantas, and, in season, humpback whales. The headliner here is the scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini): they school offshore around these underwater mountains, and when currents and thermoclines line up, those schools can rise into recreational depths for bucket-list encounters.
Silky sharks are another signature sighting, patrolling the blue from mid-water to the safety stop. Sightings vary day to day, but Gordo Banks offers some of the best chances in Los Cabos to meet these pelagics in their natural environment.
Site Layout: Canyons & Blue Water
The site has two main areas. The inner bank rises to about 120 ft / 35 m and features canyons and ledges lined with sponges, black coral, and colorful sea fans—an edge habitat where reef life meets open-ocean visitors. Relief along the rim creates light-and-shadow corridors that pelagics use to pass by, and you’ll often work the contour, scanning the blue while keeping the structure in sight.
The outer bank drops straight into deep blue water with no visible bottom, where the dive shifts fully into the open ocean. This is a true drift dive, defined by long mid-water glides and a constant scan of the blue, watching for hammerhead schools, silky sharks, mantas, or fast-moving jacks appearing out of the depth.
What To Expect: Drifts & Action
Gordo Banks is a true “hit or miss” dive. Some days are calm, defined by that feeling of drifting in the blue; on others, the action doesn’t stop—hammerheads in formation, silky sharks gliding past, schools of jacks, manta rays, and in winter the haunting songs of humpback whales. What you see depends on the day’s ocean conditions: water clarity, thermoclines, and prevailing currents. At times, sharks hold deep beyond recreational limits; on other days, we find large hammerhead schools as shallow as 15 m / 50 ft, or silky sharks schooling right at the surface.
Every descent at Gordo Banks brings something different, and that unpredictability is what makes it one of the most exciting scuba experiences near Cabo San Lucas. When the big animals appear, it’s a dive you’ll never forget. Preparation, patience, and the occasionally demanding open-ocean conditions are entirely worth the experience.
Requirements & Safety
Due to its offshore location, Gordo Banks offers a truly advanced pelagic dive, best suited for experienced divers who are comfortable in deep water without visual references. With potentially strong currents and blue-water drift, excellent buoyancy control and gas management are essential.
For this reason, and to ensure every diver is fully prepared, participation is limited to Advanced Open Water certified divers with a minimum of 40 logged dives who have completed recent dives with our team, allowing us to assess buoyancy control, air consumption, and overall readiness prior to the Gordo Banks dive.
$ 4900 MXN + taxes
📅 Season: Aug–Feb
🕘 6-hour trip · 2 dives
💵 Price per person (min. 3 guests)
🌞 Morning departure
Includes
✓ Small groups
✓ 1 SMB per diver
✓ Certified guides (EN/SP/FR)
✓ Water, sodas, snacks & light lunch
✓ Reef friendly sunscreen & towels
Add-ons
✧ Scuba gear · full set +$800 MXN / item +$200 MXN
✧ Nitrox · +$300 MXN per tank
✧ Private trip or private guide available
Not included
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Dive gear
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Personal travel or medical insurance
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Gratuities for captain and crew
Requirements & conditions
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At least 40 logged dives
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AOW diver certification
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Previous dive with us
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18 years old minimum
What to bring
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Swimsuit, sunglasses, hat or cap
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Sweater or jacket in cold months
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Camera/underwater camera
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Seasick? Take medication 1 hr before boarding
What to expect
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Possible strong currents
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Visibility 30-100ft / 9-30m, highly variable temperatures with thermoclines 60-85F / 15-29 °C
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Wildlife sightings not guaranteed