The Reserve was created by the government of Mexico on 25 April 2005 and is located 250 kilometres (160 miles) from the mainland.

Since the designation of the island as a biosphere reserve, goats have been eliminated and programs to restore natural vegetation and wildlife have expanded.

The island is of volcanic origin and rugged and mountainous rising to a maximum elevation of 1,298 metres (4,259 ft) in the north.

The northwest coast is characterized by precipitous sea cliffs which rise to a maximum elevation of 900 metres (3,000 ft).

[6] According to the National Biodiversity Information System of Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO) in Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve there are over 925 plant and animal species from which 36 are in at risk category and 60 are exotics.

[4] The introduction of goats on the island by whalers or seal hunters in the early 19th century was catastrophic for the native vegetation.

In the central portion of the island, the native grasses had been largely replaced by exotic species.

[9] After ten years of observation, the Mexican government began active restoration programs in 2015 focused on reforestation, erosion control and fire prevention.

A nursery located near the center of the island grows seedlings of native and endemic species, especially trees, and by 2018 had produced 90,000 plants.

[15] Introduced feral cats (Felis catus) have caused the extinction of six species of birds on Guadalupe Island.

More than 300 great white sharks are known to frequent the clear waters of Guadalupe, mostly on the northeastern coast.

[18] As of January 10, 2023, cage diving with great white sharks at Isla Guadalupe, Mexico, was permanently prohibited.

The Mexican Government’s ban covers all tourism inside the reserve, including film production and liveaboard diving.