Gordon Rocks Galapagos
Gordon Rocks is a bucket-list dive site on the Galapagos Islands. Intrepid scuba divers are rewarded with the opportunity to share the depths with hammerheads, Mola Mola, rays, sea turtles, and much more.
The best news of all? For tourists on Santa Cruz island, Gordon Rocks is an easy and affordable day-dive tour to organize. What’s more, we are going to tell you exactly how to do it.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about Gordon Rocks Galapagos, and, most importantly, how to plan the perfect visit.
Where is Gordon Rocks?
Gordon Rocks is located at Santa Cruz Island, the most central island of the archipelago. Santa Cruz is the largest population center of Galapagos, a place that most Galapagos tourists pass through during their vacation.
Gordon Rocks lies off the northeast of Santa Cruz. From Puerto Ayora town, it’s a 40-minute road journey, followed by 20-30 minutes by boat to reach the 3 protruding sea rocks that are Gordon Rocks dive site.
Why is Gordon Rocks so famous?
The fame of Gordon Rocks has spread quickly by word of mouth among Galapagos divers. We are talking about one of the very best diving sites of all Galapagos!
Gordon Rocks attracts both diversity and sheer quantity of marine creatures. It’s also THE place in the Galapagos to dive with Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks on a day dive tour.
Known as ‘The Washing Machine’, Gordon Rocks is a right-of-passage dive where only intermediate and advanced divers can tread due to challenging currents and upwellings. It is these strong currents that brings the plankton to the surface attracting Galapagos shark species in large numbers.
Apart from its underwater wonders, the vertical cliffs at Gordon Rocks are also home to seabirds. So, keep your eyes peeled for blue-footed boobies, Frigate birds, and more.
How to Visit? Gordon Rocks Dive Tour
The only way to dive at Gordon Rocks is aboard a guided dive tour. An official PADI guide must accompany all groups for safety reasons.
Gordon Rocks dive tours do not run every day of the week, so check in advance with the Happy Gringo team for availability. It’s best to book in advance to avoid disappointment, although you might also get lucky with a last-minute departure in the local Puerto Ayora agencies.
Tours leave Puerto Ayora early in the morning, typically around 7:00 am.
The Gordon Rocks dive tour includes 2 immersions of roughly 45-55 mins each. You’ll be accompanied by an English-speaking PADI guide throughout.
Use of dive gear (wetsuit, BCB, boots, fins, regulator with computer, tanks, mask, cap) is included, as is lunch onboard.
You’ll need to try your gear on at the operator’s office in Puerto Ayora on the day before your dive, so remember to factor that into your time planning.
A Gordon Rocks dive tour can be booked as a stand-alone, or for island hoppers, and can be included in a longer land tour itinerary with other activities or day dives.
About Gordon Rocks Galapagos Dive Site
Let’s get into the technical details of the Gordon Rocks dive site.
Gordon Rocks is an eroded volcanic “tuff cone”. Centuries of weather erosion have formed the three rocks we find today.
Deep-sea currents push up against the exposed Gordon Rocks cliffs. This forces rich nutrients to the surface, forming the perfect feeding ground for marine species.
Wildlife at Gordon Rocks
The biggest Gordon Rocks underwater highlights are schools of Hammerheads, and the unusual-looking Sunfish (Mola Mola). While no sightings can be guaranteed, they are common, especially during the cold water season (July to October).
Other common sightings at Gordon Rocks include Galapagos sharks, white-tip reef sharks, green sea turtles, rays (Mobula, sting, eagle), moray eels, barracudas, Galapagos sea lions, and octopus.
Let’s not forget the colorful Galapagos reef fish, including Napoleon wrasse, puffer fish, king angelfish, parrot fish, yellowtail grunts, barber fish, surgeonfish, and more.
About Gordon Rocks Diving Conditions
Gordon Rocks is an open-water drift dive of moderate difficulty, with strong currents and surges.
Ocean Depth ranges from 12 to 30 meters, with a sandy bottom and reasonable to good visibility.
Expect average water temperatures of 20-26 Celsius (January to May), and 16-20 Celsius (June to December).
Gordon Rocks Dive Requirements
Due to the strong currents in open water, Gordon Rocks is a scuba site suited only to intermediate and advanced divers.
To take a Gordon Rocks tour you must be a certified diver with a minimum of 25 logged dives, and have actively dived within the past 12 months.
Practicalities for diving at Gordon Rocks
- Marine life at Gordon Rocks is more abundant and active during the cool & dry Galapagos weather season, especially from July to October. During these months the colder water is richer in nutrients, attracting more wildlife.
- During the rest of the year, divers won’t be disappointed either. This is still a premium Galapagos dive site, and there is always lots of underwater action to be found.
- Recommended to bring: breathable t-shirt, waterproof jacket, swimming clothes, sandals or flip flops, hat or cap, sunglasses, waterproof dry bag, change of clothes, sun protection, sea-sick pills, drinking water, GoPro or other underwater camera.
- It is extremely important to book Gordon Rocks dives through a reputable agent/operator. Gordon Rocks is a serious dive site, and there is a reason why it is suitable only for experienced divers. There have, unfortunately, been accidents and even deaths at this site in the past through irresponsible operators without the correct permissions. So, please check carefully that your operator is reputable, and don’t skimp on the price with cowboy dive operations.
Contact us for a FREE TOUR QUOTE – Happy Gringo specializes in customized trips right across Ecuador, Galapagos, the Amazon, and South America including Peru.
For dive enthusiasts, why not check out specialized Galapagos Diving Cruises that head up to Darwin and Wolf Islands? Dive yachts like Galapagos Sky, Aqua, Calipso, Tiburon Explorer, and Galaxy Diver are perfect for week-long cruising.
We also run a popular 5-day land-based diving package with different day dives from Santa Cruz island. Other popular dive sites from Santa Cruz include Cousins, Daphne, Beagle, Santa Fe, and Guy Fawkes. Many of these sites are suitable for beginner and intermediate divers.
In conclusion, Gordon Rocks Galapagos is a must-visit for experienced scuba divers visiting the archipelago.
Gordon Rocks is a truly world-class scuba site and one of the very best in all Galapagos. Sharing the water with hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, mola mola, and rays are some epic ticks to any bucket list.
