UNESCO World Heritage all three. Malpelo: 300+ hammerheads per dive. Revillagigedo 148,000 km² protected, fewer than 10 liveaboards. Darwin and Wolf: hammerheads and whale sharks. Exclusive liveaboard, high cost.
The three great current diving destinations with sharks, rays, and top-tier pelagic fauna generate long and recurring discussions. Topics include the best time of year for each, the differences between shore-based versus liveaboard diving, the total cost (which can exceed 5,000 euros), and how to choose between these three destinations if only one trip is possible. The actual technical difficulty and minimum recommended level are also debated.
All three areas are protected as marine reserves and declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. At Malpelo, schools of hammerhead sharks can exceed 300 individuals in a single dive. Revillagigedo, with more than 148,000 km² of fully protected reserve since 2017, hosts up to seven shark species and giant oceanic manta rays; the number of licensed liveaboards is fewer than ten. In the Galápagos, Darwin and Wolf are the most sought-after sites for their enormous congregations of hammerhead and whale sharks.