Gordon Rocks

Gordon Rocks

Ecuador · Pacific Ocean
OVERVIEW

Why dive in Gordon Rocks?

Gordon Rocks, located off Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos, is renowned as one of the world's premier dive sites for encountering massive schools of hammerhead sharks. Known as 'The Washing Machine' due to its strong and unpredictable currents, this site is strictly recommended for intermediate to advanced divers with at least 25 logged dives. Its unique eroded volcanic topography creates nutrient-rich upwellings, attracting an incredible diversity of large pelagic species.

WATER TEMPERATURE -
VISIBILITY -
CURRENT STRENGTHStrong  –  Very strong

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LOCAL MARINE LIFE IN GORDON ROCKS

Featured Animals 9

SIGHTING PROBABILITY
  • Unlikely
  • Likely
  • Very likely
Galapagos SharkFrequent sightings

Galapagos 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.


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Galápagos Sea LionFrequent sightings

Galápagos 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
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Giant Oceanic Manta RayFrequent sightings

Giant 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.


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Green Sea TurtleFrequent sightings

Green 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.


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Ocean SunfishFrequent sightings

Ocean 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
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Scalloped Hammerhead SharkFrequent sightings

Scalloped 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.


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Spinner DolphinFrequent sightings

Spinner 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.


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Whale SharkFrequent sightings

Whale Shark

Rhincodon typus

The whale shark is the largest fish in the world and a gentle filter feeder.


BEST SEASON
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Whitetip Reef SharkFrequent sightings

Whitetip 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
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ALSO IN Gordon Rocks

More marine life 30

LOCATION

Where is Gordon Rocks

Pacific Ocean · Ecuador