All great white shark tourism off Guadalupe Island has been permanently closed, according to the Mexican government.
In a policy statement on the Biosphere Reserve of Guadalupe Island issued on January 9th, the Mexican government said:
“White shark observation may not be carried out in the Reserve for tourist purposes, to avoid altering their habitat, behavior and feeding sites, and thereby preserve and conserve the species.”
The reserve had been closed temporarily in 2021, a ban that was extended through the 2022 season.
The decision has been met with disappointment among shark tourism operators in the region, with local tour operator Be A Shark Diving and Adventure Travel saying:
“While we believe the rationale of the updated Management Program is well-intentioned, the unilateral decision to close the reserve in this way raises genuine concerns over the future well-being of Eastern Pacific White Sharks. Mexico has the opportunity to protect and safeguard this important population of sharks which visit waters around Guadalupe Island as part of their much wider migration cycle. We believe the new provisions may be counter-productive. This is a vital aggregation site for white sharks and of critical global importance to the species.”
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