Northeast Anchorage (historical cage-diving area)
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily — treat everything here as planning ranges.
HISTORICAL ENTRY - the site is closed. From the early 2000s until 2022, liveaboards anchored in the calm lee of Guadalupe's northeast coast and lowered cages into water with 30-45 m visibility, where great white sharks arrived on seasonal aggregation from late summer into winter. Viewing happened from surface cages breathing hookah air and, on some vessels, submersible cages winched to around 10 m. The clarity and shark reliability were unmatched anywhere in the world. Mexican authorities closed the biosphere reserve to tourism and confirmed in January 2023 that cage diving would not resume; no permits exist and no legitimate operator sells this trip. The entry stands as a record, not an invitation.
The moment you come for: Formerly the world's clearest, most reliable white shark cage viewing; now closed and recorded here as history
Topography: Deep blue water over a steep volcanic shelf in the island's leeward northeast anchorage
Know before you splash
Hazards: Not applicable - the site cannot be visited.
Permits & rules: CLOSED by Mexican authorities since 2023; no permits are issued and trips cannot legally operate.
Conservation: The closure removed all tourism pressure from the reserve; the shark aggregation and pinniped colonies continue without observers.
