Gordon Rocks
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Why dive in Gordon Rocks?
BEST SEASON
Featured Animals 9
- Unlikely
- Likely
- Very likely
Diurnal Frequent sightingsGalapagos Shark
Carcharhinus galapagensis
The Galapagos Shark is a large requiem shark found in tropical waters. It is recognizable by its streamlined body and distinctive fins. This shark is known for forming schools near sea mounts and is often seen in coastal and reef areas.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsGalápagos Sea Lion
Zalophus wollebaeki
The Galápagos Sea Lion is the smallest sea lion species, endemic to the Galápagos Archipelago and some areas off mainland Ecuador. They are highly social, forming colonies on sandy beaches and rocky shores, and are known for their playful and inquisitive nature. Their diet primarily consists of fish, squid, octopus, and crustaceans, which they forage at shallow to moderate depths.
BEST SEASON
Variable Frequent sightingsGiant Oceanic Manta Ray
Mobula birostris
The Giant Oceanic Manta Ray is the world's largest ray, with a disc width that can reach up to 9 meters. It is a circumglobal species found in tropical to temperate pelagic waters, often near coastlines, reefs, and in the open ocean, diving to depths of 1,000 meters. These filter feeders primarily consume zooplankton, including mesopelagic sources, and can also eat small fish. While generally solitary, they aggregate at feeding grounds and cleaning stations. The species is currently listed as Endangered due to overfishing and low reproductive rates.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsGreen Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
The green sea turtle is a large marine reptile distinguished by its heart-shaped carapace and a single pair of prefrontal scales.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsOcean Sunfish
Mola mola
The Ocean Sunfish is one of the heaviest known bony fish, notable for its round, flat body. It often basks on its side at the surface of the ocean and is a diurnal predator feeding primarily on jellyfish.
BEST SEASON
Cathemeral Frequent sightingsScalloped Hammerhead Shark
Sphyrna lewini
The Scalloped Hammerhead Shark is a large, migratory shark easily recognized by the central indentation on its hammer-shaped head. These sharks are found globally in warm temperate and tropical coastal and oceanic waters, often forming large schools around seamounts and islands. They are primarily nocturnal foragers, feeding on a diverse diet of bony fishes, cephalopods, crustaceans, and smaller sharks and rays.
BEST SEASON
Nocturnal Frequent sightingsSpinner Dolphin
Stenella longirostris
The Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) is a small, slender dolphin renowned for its acrobatic leaps and spins out of the water. Found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide, they typically feed on small mesopelagic fish, squid, and shrimp at night, often diving to considerable depths. During the day, they rest and socialize in large, often fluid, schools, sometimes in shallow coastal waters.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsWhale Shark
Rhincodon typus
The whale shark is the largest fish in the world and a gentle filter feeder.
BEST SEASON
Nocturnal Frequent sightingsWhitetip Reef Shark
Triaenodon obesus
The Whitetip Reef Shark is a slender, medium-sized shark easily identified by the distinctive white tips on its dorsal and upper caudal fins. Primarily nocturnal, it spends its days resting in caves and under ledges on coral reefs and hunts at night for bony fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods. These sharks are generally social, often found in groups during the day, but can hunt individually or cooperatively.
BEST SEASON
More marine life 30
Bigeye TrevallyCaranx sexfasciatus
Black DurgonMelichthys niger
Blacktip SharkCarcharhinus limbatus
Blue SharkPrionace glauca
Blue WhaleBalaenoptera musculus
Common Bottlenose DolphinTursiops truncatus
Eagle RayAetobatus spp.
Ember ParrotfishScarus rubroviolaceus
Fur SealsArctocephalinae
Galapagos Barnacle BlennyAcanthemblemaria castroi
Galapagos Blackstripe SalemaXenocys jessiae
Galapagos Fur SealArctocephalus galapagoensis
Great Hammerhead SharkSphyrna mokarran
Humpback WhaleMegaptera novaeangliae
Killer WhaleOrcinus orca
Marine IguanaAmblyrhynchus cristatus
Oceanic Whitetip SharkCarcharhinus longimanus
Pacific SeahorseHippocampus ingens
Pelagic Thresher SharkAlopias pelagicus
Sea LionOtariinae
Sicklefin Devil RayMobula tarapacana
Silky SharkCarcharhinus falciformis
Silvertip SharkCarcharhinus albimarginatus
Smooth Hammerhead SharkSphyrna zygaena
Snowflake MorayEchidna nebulosa
Sperm WhalePhyseter macrocephalus
Spot-fin PorcupinefishDiodon hystrix
Spotted Eagle RayAetobatus narinari
Tiger SharkGaleocerdo cuvier
Yellowfin TunaThunnus albacares
Where is Gordon Rocks
Pacific Ocean · Ecuador
Frequently asked questions about Gordon Rocks
When is the best time to dive in Gordon Rocks?
The best time to dive in Gordon Rocks is from June to November. In those months the water is between 16°C and 20°C.
What marine life can you see diving in Gordon Rocks?
Divers can encounter 39 species in Gordon Rocks. Highlights include Galapagos Shark, Galápagos Sea Lion, Giant Oceanic Manta Ray, Green Sea Turtle, Ocean Sunfish, and Scalloped Hammerhead Shark.
When can you see the Giant Oceanic Manta Ray in Gordon Rocks?
The Giant Oceanic Manta Ray is most often seen in Gordon Rocks from April to October.
When can you see the Ocean Sunfish in Gordon Rocks?
The Ocean Sunfish is most often seen in Gordon Rocks from June to September.
When can you see the Spinner Dolphin in Gordon Rocks?
The Spinner Dolphin is most often seen in Gordon Rocks from April to October.
What is the water temperature in Gordon Rocks?
Water temperature in Gordon Rocks ranges from 16°C in June to 26°C in January.
What wetsuit do I need to dive in Gordon Rocks?
Most divers wear a 7 mm wetsuit in June, when the water drops to 16°C, and a 3 mm wetsuit in January, when it reaches 26°C.
What is the visibility like when diving in Gordon Rocks?
Visibility in Gordon Rocks ranges from 8 m to 25 m. The water is clearest from December to May.
What are the currents like in Gordon Rocks?
Divers in Gordon Rocks can expect strong or very strong currents, depending on the month and the dive site.
What can you see on a night dive in Gordon Rocks?
After dark, Gordon Rocks reveals nocturnal species such as Spinner Dolphin, Whitetip Reef Shark, Blue Shark, Galapagos Fur Seal, Snowflake Moray, and Spot-fin Porcupinefish.
Where is Gordon Rocks located?
Gordon Rocks is a dive destination in Ecuador, in the Pacific Ocean.
Every answer is built from the conditions and sightings data we keep for Gordon Rocks. Spotted something that looks off?
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