SCUBA diving equals excitement. There is no way to deny that. Incredible coral reefs, sunken ships that hold hidden secrets of the past, natural formations, and loads of sea life await divers beneath the surface. Sometimes the submarine view takes one’s breath away, with all the colors and the majesty of it all and sometimes your heart just leaps up into your throat, especially when you are swimming with the sharks!
For those who want the thrill of swimming with the sharks there is no better place on earth than Malpelo, Colombia. Malpelo is a diver’s dream destination that lies 515 km (320 miles) from the coast of Colombia. This small island literally shoots up out of the ocean with majestic cliffs that reach a soaring height of 275 m (1230 feet) and a depth of more than 3 km (2 miles) below the surface. It is part of a submarine volcanic ridge that stretches 45 m (150 feet), lying mostly beneath the surface. The island itself has three distinct peaks that rise up out of the ocean, the highest of which is called El Cerro de La Mona.
The island is considered to be inhospitable by local sailors. It may be inhospitable to humans, but not so to the many species of birds and other animals that call the island home. Its beauty above the ocean surface is renowned, with many lovely and unique animals living on it, including the 60 species of birds, including Red-billed Tropic bird, Red-footed Booby, Black Noddy, Nazca Booby, Masked Booby, and the great and magnificent Frigate birds. Generally tourists are not allowed to step foot on the island. However, it is a different story in the water where the beauty is even more evident beneath the waves because it is here that divers get to have complete freedom and can swim with the sharks.
In the waters surrounding Malpelo it is the 600 hammerhead sharks and the thousands of silky sharks that take center stage. The hammerhead shark is the main predator in these waters and to swim with them is simply incredible. One might think that swimming with sharks is foolish and possibly just short of suicidal, but it is safer than most people realize, at least when swimming with hammerhead sharks, which prefer to eat small fish. However, these sharks look intimidating as they can grow to a whopping 14 feet in length (>4 m).
Divers need to be prepared for a 36 hour journey by boat from the port in Buenaventura, but the journey is well worth it. Obviously, divers are accommodated on a liveaboard and it is a good idea to plan a trip for a few days. There are a number of dive sites around the island, including Three Musketeers, La Nevera, and Cast Away Coast. It is common for divers to see entire schools of hammerhead sharks, which is an impressive sight. Sometimes there is even a colossal school of sharks, a mixture of both hammerheads and silky sharks swimming together. Probably the second most impressive sight to see are the cluster and free-swimming moray eels. Aside from hammerhead sharks and silky sharks there is a whole host of other marine life, such as white tip reef sharks, Galapagos sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, tunas, angel fish, Creole fish, jacks, and even the possibility of seeing a whale shark, dolphins, and whales.
In addition to the incredible sea life, Malpelo’s cliffs are riddled with tunnels and caves formed by the scouring action of the waves on the cliffs and encrusted with algae. These rock formations give divers an opportunity to explore and delight in this natural volcanic beauty. Many invertebrates make their home here and this gives divers an even greater array of sea life to explore.
Divers who venture to Malpelo Island will certainly not be disappointed. The Malpelo Foundation allows only one liveaboard in the area at any one time and there is a maximum of 25 divers allowed on board. This means that divers who go will have the area all to themselves for the days they are diving and will only have a few other divers with them. There will be no racing to the best spots each morning and few divers to interfere with the diving experience. This creates a relaxed atmosphere and it is easy to explore the area in peace.
Divers should be experienced for diving in the Malpelo area and beginners may find it challenging. Water temperatures are generally between 25 C and 28 C (72 F to 79 F), but in areas the temperature can go as low as 15 C (60 F). Currents can also be strong in some areas, which allows for drift diving. There is one underwater mountain, Bajo Bojarca, and two deeps to explore for those who enjoy deep diving. Boats cannot anchor within the marine protected area, so all diving is without a line.
There is a major problem with shark finning in the area surrounding the marine protected area and Sandra Bessudo of the Malpelo Foundation has been lobbying the government to put a stop to it out of concern that the finning is driving these amazing creatures to extinction. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like there will be any help for the sharks in the near future because the fishing industry is opposed to the idea. Fortunately, there is no fishing allowed in a 25 miles radius around the island. This allows for a lot of biodiversity in these safe waters.
Snorkeling is also an option in these waters. In fact, snorkeling gives a very unique view of the magnificent creatures in the water, when looking down from above. Whatever visitors to the Island of Malpelo choose to see and do, there is no shortage of incredible sights to see. With the amazing vista offered by the island itself and the vast underwater display of sea life, this is one diving location that must be on any serious diver’s radar screen.