Scuba diving in

Malpelo Island

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, but still boasts a high degree of endemism typical of such an isolated island. Malpelo’s dramatic, near-vertical cliffs mark the summit of a 300-kilometre volcanic ridge that plummets into the ocean’s abyss, reaching depths of nearly 3,500-metres below the surface. And this is where the real action is.

The 857,500 hectare Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary encircles the island itself, as well as eleven 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. 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.

Most liveaboards to Malpelo depart from the small port of Buenaventura, located around two and a half hours by car from Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International Airport in Cali. This airport welcomes non-stop flights from the USA, Spain, Peru, Ecuador and Panama. If you’re arriving into Bogota, you can easily book an onwards domestic flight to Cali. In previous years, trips also departed from Panama but these are currently suspended.

The crossing from Buenaventura to Malpelo Island can take up to 40 hours, particularly during rough seas, but this destination is worth every minute.

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.

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 sunny 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.

June through December represents the wet season. At this time you’ll find warmer waters at around 26-28°C, with much deeper thermoclines reaching lows of 22°C. Visibility increases, as a result, hitting around 30 metres 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.

Designated a Flora and Fauna Sanctuary in 1995, Malpelo Island’s protection was quickly extended just one year later, to include all marine environments within an 11-kilometre radius. The sanctuary was declared a "Particularly Sensitive Sea Area" in 2003, making it off-limits to commercial fishing, before receiving a huge extension in 2005 - taking the total protected area from 65,450 to 857,500 hectares. And, in 2006, the area became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Malpelo and its various satellite rocks are home to a high degree of endemism, including five plant species, three reptiles and two arthropods. It also supports important colonies of Nazca and masked boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and the critically endangered Galapagos petrel.

Despite the island’s small size, it also plays a crucial role for many pelagic marine species, acting as a key congregation point for numerous shark species including hammerheads, silkies and whale sharks, as well as billfish and tuna. It is also one of the few places in the world where sightings of the usually deep-dwelling short-nosed ragged-toothed shark have been confirmed. Up to 17 marine mammal species, seven marine reptile species, 394 fish species and 340 species of molluscs can also be found.

The Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary is now the largest no-fishing zone in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, enforced by some of the world’s most severe penalties against illegal fishing. Unfortunately, due to a lack of resources, and despite a small Colombian Navy presence on the island, illegal fishing does still take place. Tourism is also tightly controlled, with only one vessel - carrying a maximum of 25 guests - permitted to enter the park at any one time.