El Canon (The Canyon)
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.
The Canyon is San Benedicto's shark junction. A ridge drops away to a cut in the shelf around 25-30 m where cleaning stations pull in scalloped hammerheads - sometimes scattered individuals, sometimes schools that fill the up-current view - while silky and Galapagos sharks ride the mid-water and whitetips pave the bottom. Tiger sharks pass through often enough that briefings cover them without drama. Mantas visit here too, though the Boiler keeps the crown. It is a patience dive: find the rock shoulder, tuck in low, control your bubbles, and let the traffic come round on its circuit. Multiple species per minute is a normal count.
The moment you come for: Hammerhead schools over the cut, layered shark traffic, occasional tigers and mantas
Topography: Rocky ridge and canyon cutting through San Benedicto's southern shelf
Current: Works best with flow across the ridge; guides stage divers behind the rock shoulders.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Depth discipline in current; blue-water ascents off the shelf.
Nitrox: Worth it here — profiles sit in the range where enriched air meaningfully extends no-stop time (with the training to use it).
Who you'll meet
Galápagos Shark
Oceanic Manta Ray
Scalloped Hammerhead
Silky Shark
Whitetip Reef Shark
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★★ · Macro: ★☆☆☆☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting