Darwin North Wall

The sheer north face of Darwin Island drops vertically from the surface to beyond 60 m, its walls encrusted with black coral fans, sponges, and Tubastrea coral in brilliant orange and yellow. This is one of the premier whale shark aggregation sites in the world — resident whale sharks (some exceeding 12 m) patrol 5 to 25 m depth along the wall face during the cool season June through November. Schools of scalloped hammerheads numbering in the hundreds assemble at 20 to 35 m while silky sharks and Galápagos sharks hold the outer column. Current at the north face is typically moderate, easing to mild in the afternoon.