Malpelo - Pacific

Malpelo is Colombia's top dive destination! Experienced divers and experts evaluate Malpelo as one of the world's best places for encounters with hammerhead sharks. Malpelo is a net.art by volcanic activity rock formation and is surrounded by 11 smaller islands. The steep rock walls rise from 4,000 m depth to the surface. The underwater world is strongly influenced by currents and species from the Indo-Pacific and the eastern tropical Pacific. Malpelo is the reproduction and distribution of many marine life forms takes place.

About the island

Location

The island is located in the geographical coordinates 3​°51'07'' N and 81°35'40'' W, 490 kilometers west of Buenaventura on the Pacific west coast of Colombia. Highest point: Cerro de la Mona, 360 m above sea level.

Extension

1.20 km² surface above the water level and 38,756 hectares of marine area.

Climate

In Malpelo the trade winds of the Northern and Southern hemispheres meet, a phenomenon also called ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone), which leads to the condensation of the humidity. Hence we find frequent fog and rain in this region, especially from March to December.

Ecosystem

Rock and coral formations, 12 endemic species.

DIVING IN MALPELO ISLAND

Malpelo is different from any other place or dive site - in many ways. Condition predictions are quite impossible, rather tendencies, the same regarding sealife. Througout the entire year hammerhead and galapagos sharks can be seen, from May to September sometimes until November there are whalesharks; personally, we have seen our biggest whalesharks at Malpelo Island, some up to 14 meters (42 feet) in length.

Silky sharks, mainly females, may appear in very large numbers around Malpelo, between end of April until July, some years until August. A family of bottle nose dolphins shows up frequently and especially around Nevera it's possible to enounter them while diving.

From January to April is cold water season, that's the best time to see Sandtiger sharks (odontaspis ferox) in front of our mask. The rest of the year they are usually in the deep and off recreational diving range. This shark species seems like a prehistoric species, the slow movements and protruding teeth differenciate him from other shark species.

Diving boats Malpelo

Malpelo is currently served by the steel vessel Ferox and the aluminum vessel M/Y Sea Wolf. Ferox is characterized by the fact that it meets international safety standards in all respects.

HOW TO GET TO MALPELO

To Colombia you have to fly to Airport Cali Alfonso Bonilla Aragon; airlines: Air Comet, Iberia, Avianca, Air France, AAirlines