Shark
Galapagos shark
Carcharhinus galapagensis
A large, robust reef shark found around oceanic islands, documented at Socorro in tight formations of up to 20 individuals at cleaning stations like The Canyon.
- Max size
- Up to 3m
- Habitat
- Rocky reefs and drop-offs around oceanic islands
Best places to dive with Galapagos shark
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Seen year-round at cleaning stations and seamounts such as Dirty Rock and Punta Maria, with large individuals reported around 3 to 3.5m.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Seen year-round at the northern and central rocky sites.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Galapagos sharks may patrol Niʻihau and Lehua sites. Presence varies by day and is not assigned a synthetic peak.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Possible in the region; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | not seen |
| July | not seen |
| August | not seen |
| September | not seen |
| October | not seen |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Seen at cleaning stations and current-swept points, sometimes in tight formations of a dozen or more.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | rare |
| May | rare |
| June | rare |
| July | rare |
| August | rare |
| September | rare |
| October | rare |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
Galapagos sharks occur offshore; routine south-shore scuba sightings are uncommon.
Sources & last checked
Checked July 2026
Research is source-backed, but conditions and fees should still be confirmed locally.
View 2 sources and checking notes
- Shark Diving in Mexico: Where & When to Go, Divebooker
- Socorro Diving (Revillagigedo): Best Time to Go, Giant Mantas, Sharks & Liveaboards, Bluewater Dive Travel
Note on the data: The Canyon association is a single-source claim (Bluewater); the 20-shark formation anecdote is from a different source describing Roca Partida, not necessarily The Canyon specifically — the sighting record treats this as a region-wide claim rather than pinning it to one site, to avoid overstating site-level precision.