Malpelo Island, a remote volcanic rock in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Colombia, is known for its incredible shark encounters, particularly hammerheads and silky sharks, and is part of the “Hammerhead Triangle”.
Divers can also encounter Galapagos sharks, whale sharks, eagle rays, and various species of fish. The island features steep walls, volcanic rock formations, and deep canyons, offering a diverse diving experience. Malpelo is known for strong currents, which can make diving challenging but also contribute to the area’s incredible biodiversity.
Malpelo Island is only accessible by liveaboard, which depart from Buenaventura, Colombia.
Colombia Dive Adventures runs trips to Malpelo Island on two identical liveaboards: Ferox and Vivax.
Situated some 500 kilometres from the Colombian coast, the craggy island of Malpelo is both beautiful and foreboding. Covered in a carpet of lichen, mosses and algae – and little else – this barren outcrop is the domain of birds, reptiles and bugs. Its dramatic, near-vertical cliffs mark the summit of a 300km volcanic ridge that plummets into the ocean, to depths of nearly 3,500m.
Liveaboards to Malpelo depart from the port of Buenaventura, located around two and a half hours by car from Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International Airport in Cali. There are direct flights to Cali from the USA, Spain, Peru, Ecuador and Panama. If you’re arriving into Bogota, you can easily book an onwards domestic flight to Cali.
The crossing from Buenaventura to Malpelo Island can take up to 40 hours, particularly during rough seas, but this destination is worth every minute.
Where to stay
Due to restrictions imposed by the Colombian Government, the only way to visit Malpelo is aboard a Colombian liveaboard, greatly limiting the number of options available. But, once aboard, you’ll have the entire marine sanctuary to yourself, with just one liveaboard permitted to enter the park’s borders at any given time. Plus, vessels are only allowed to carry a maximum of 25 guests and individual dive groups must not exceed six divers.
Gorgona Island
Also off the coast of Colombia, Gorgona Island is no where near as remote as Malpelo, 28km off shore. It was named by Spanish conquistadors, possibly after the Gorgons of Greek mythology, due to the many snakes on the island. It served as a high-security prison from 1959 until 1984, holding political prisoners and dangerous criminals. In 1985, the island was established as Gorgona Island National Park to preserve its natural beauty and wildlife.
It is known for its rich biodiversity, featuring a diverse array of flora and fauna. The island is home to a variety of species, including reptiles, marine turtles, and babilla alligators. It also supports a rich marine environment, with dolphins, porpoises, sperm whales, and humpback whales. The island’s coral reefs are a major attraction for scuba divers and snorkelers.
The 857,500 hectare Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary encircles the island itself, as well as 11 smaller outcrops, and provides a pristine environment for both plants and wildlife. Since 2006, the area has also been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dive sites around the island feature steep walls, pinnacles and caverns.
With five oceanic currents converging around this small island, and a backdrop of breathtaking underwater topography, the stage is well-and-truly set for an exceptional underwater experience. And, unlike ‘neighbouring’ destinations such as Galapagos and Socorro – where dives are spread out over large distances or take place at remote, deep-water pinnacles – the plunging walls on Malpelo Island will drop divers right into the action.
Best Time to Dive
Thanks to its tropical climate, Malpelo can be dived at any time of year. And, while it does experience two distinct seasons, a convergence of trade winds and oceanic-currents means conditions can change rapidly and are infamously hard to predict.
The dry season runs from January to May, bringing clear skies as well as stronger winds and rougher seas. Water temperatures range between 20-25°C with the potential for shallow thermoclines that drop as low as 14°C. These cooler waters generally mean high concentrations of plankton, which will reduce visibility, possibly as low as ten metres at times. But, on the plus side, this is also the best time to encounter large numbers of hammerhead sharks, as well as the elusive smalltooth sand tiger shark.
The wet season runs from June to December, with warmer waters at around 26-28°C, much deeper thermoclines reaching lows of 22°C. Visibility increases, as a result, hitting around 30m or more. As the winds retreat, so do the seas, offering much calmer conditions during crossings. Between May and August is prime time for spotting schools of silky sharks, while whale sharks are common from July to October.
