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Malpelo

DivingPermit neededNo mooring buoys

Marine life

Venezuela, COMalpelo
Best time
Jan–Apr, Jun–Aug
Water temp.
20–28 °C
Dive depth
15–40 m
Coordinates4°00′00″ N, 81°36′22″ W

Hundreds of scalloped hammerheads in a single school, silky sharks in the hundreds, Galápagos sharks, whale sharks, and the only reliable place on earth to see the short-nosed ragged-tooth shark, a deep-water species that appears here at 40m and essentially nowhere else accessible. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 2006 and one of the largest no-fishing zones in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, patrolled by a Colombian navy post on the rock itself. It forms a migratory corridor with Cocos, Coiba and the Galápagos; sharks tagged at one turn up at the others. Anchorage: No anchorage. Liveaboard expedition only, with a Colombian navy detachment on the rock. Hazards: Extreme current with genuine downcurrent risk, 270nm from land, no chamber. Advanced or technical experience and a licensed expedition only.

Weather

°C°F

Experiences nearby