Malpelo Island's Scuba Diving

Malpelo is an island located in the east of the Pacific Ocean, 500 km away from Buenaventura Bay (Spanish: Bahía de Buenaventura) in South America. It belongs to Colombia.
The island is a 1 mile long and 250 meters high rock formation. All its territory and coastal waters are protected and included in the UNESCO list. You can get here only with a diving safari.
The main local attraction is a vast population of sharks of various species, such as whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, sand sharks, frilled sharks. Silky sharks are also common here.

Getting There

Malpelo Island 500 km away from the Santiago de Cali International Airport. You should get from there to Buenaventura Port and take a ship to Malpelo. The journey takes 30 to 40 hours. Diving safari is a more convenient way to reach the island.


Due to the tropical climate, diving is possible all year round on Malpelo Island. The dry season lasts from January to March; the sea is very rough in during this time. The water temperature fluctuates between +15 and +20 ˚С. It rains from June to December, and the water warms up to +26-28 ˚С. Different sea dwellers can be found here depending on the season.

Dive Spots near Malpelo Island

The major underwater attraction is the cliffs.
The Cathedral dive site is a cliff which deeps down for 18 meters. The bottom is covered in sand, and the tunnel inside the rock almost reaches the surface.
Three Musketeers are a formation of three rocks which stand close to each other. The journey begins in the cave under The Cathedral at a depth of 17 m.