El Banco Seamount

El Banco is an underwater seamount rising to 18 meters below the surface several kilometers northeast of the main Los Testigos island group, a submarine pinnacle that concentrates hammerhead sharks, silky sharks, and enormous schools of horse-eye jacks in conditions that rival Socorro and Cocos for pelagic intensity without the crowds. The seamount top is encrusted with gorgonian sea fans and acts as a cleaning station — hammerheads queue along the upcurrent face while bluestriped grunt and creole wrasse hover in attendance. In December through April the same whale sharks that visit the main reef also circle the seamount, sometimes for extended periods.