Explore Malpelo
Malpelo is a small rocky island located approximately 500 kilometres west of the Colombian Pacific coast, in the Pacific Region. The island is made up of three sheer rocky peaks, and even though the land itself is not rich with life, it is a completely different story underwater. This island can only be reached by liveaboard and this is a trip not to be missed. This is absolutely in the top three most popular diving spots of Colombia, and also one of the top three diving spots in the world to see Sharks, many Sharks. Every dive here is going to get divers' heart rates up as they are most likely to spot schools of Hammerhead Sharks and/or Silky Sharks made up of over 300 individuals. This island, and the waters around it, have been recognised as an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006 so the area is completely protected and so allowing the marine flora and fauna to flourish. Aside from the highlight which are definitely the Sharks, divers here will also be able to see Eagle Rays, Manta Rays, Whale Sharks, an impressive amount of fish species, steep walls, underwater caves and more!
Dive Activity
Diving in Malpelo
Diving at Malpelo is a truly unique experience in all aspects. Due to it being a protected area, and also way out in the open sea, there are many regulations in place on how the area can be dived. Generally, only one liveaboard at the time can be there, and it has to be a liveaboard who can handle the conditions. The positive is that divers will essentially have the area to themselves, which really amplifies the experience. Divers do need to be certified to dive here and there are no dive courses run here. Night dives are done here, which bring with them their own level of excitement and anyone that has an underwater camera needs to have it ready at all times. When it comes to the topography there are multiple steep drops which disappear into the blue, and even some thrilling caves to explore.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Malpelo
Without a doubt, the main attraction when diving at Malpelo is the sharks. There are two main species here that congregate into schools of over 300 individuals at the time, and those are the Hammerhead Sharks and the Silky Sharks, a truly unique and exhilarating experience for any divers. However, those are not the only two species which are often spotted, there are actually many more! Some of these include Smalltooth Sand Tiger Sharks, Whale Sharks, Eagle Rays, Barracuda, Sailfish, Tuna, White Tip Reef Sharks and the unique Short-Nosed Ragged-Toothed Shark. On the absolute luckiest days, Humpback Whales and even the astounding Blue Whale have been spotted passing by here. This high density of predatory species indicates that there is a very large amount of prey for them, which here come in the form of giant schools of different species of reef fish.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
Alamy-Christian Zappel
34 Sightings
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AdobeStock-Magnus
Humpback Whale
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iStock/Divepic
Giant Oceanic Manta Ray
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Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 25
iStock/Juliosanjuan
Eagle Ray
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iStock_strmko
Silky Shark
24 Sightings
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iStock-Lindsey Dougherty
Silvertip Shark
17 Sightings
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iStock-June Jacobsen
Whitetip Reef Shark
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The best Months to Dive in Malpelo
Colombia, and the surrounding area, has a tropical climate which means, luckily, that diving here is possible all year round. The dry season runs from January to May. During these months the waters are at their coolest, with temperatures ranging between 15°C and 20°C, and visibility is slightly lower due to the high amount of plankton, however, this is by far the best time to spot Hammerhead Sharks. The wet season runs from June to December and during this time, the waters are significantly warmer, with temperatures between 25°C and 29°C and the visibility improves substantially. During these months, divers are more likely to spot Whale Sharks and Silky Sharks.
