Guadalupe Island

Declared a biosphere reserve in 2005, this remote volcanic island 260 km off the coast of Baja California is today one of the most highly regarded great white shark diving destinations in the world, thanks to the exceptional visibility of its water (up to 30-40 metres), which draws the sharks in between July and November. The island was historically exploited by seal and sea lion hunters through the 19th century, to the point that the Guadalupe fur seal — endemic to the island — was believed extinct by the early 20th century; a small surviving group allowed its later recovery, and today the species has recolonised much of its original habitat.