MALPELO

Three of the best shark spots in the world are located off the coast of Central and South America in the middle of the Eastern Pacific. The least known of these, the tiny Colombian island of Malpelo, together with the Galápagos and Cocos, form a “Golden Triangle” for all big fish fans.

The archipelago of Malpelo is located about

650 kilometres southeast of Cocos and about 1,200 kilometres northeast of Galápagos in the Eastern Pacific. Malpelo is the only island of Malpelo Ridge, a large underwater mountain range, that breaks the surface. Its foothills drop to about 4,000 metres deep, where up to eight different ocean currents meet during the year. The nutrient-rich water attracts large numbers of ocean pelagics.

Around the main island, a dozen small, rugged rocky ridges with submerged steep walls and rocky slopes have become excellent diving spots. Silky sharks, huge schools of scalloped hammerhead sharks, Galápagos sharks, whitetip reef sharks, whale sharks and the rare bumpytail ragged-tooth shark can be found at depths below 50 metres.

With Malpelo being far from the mainland coast and surrounded by legal and illegal international fishing fleets, protecting these animals is imperative. For this purpose, a small Colombian military unit is stationed on the barren main island. The unit has been mobolised several times in recent years, particularly against illegal long-line fishermen.

MUST-SEE

WASHING MACHINE – Comprised of several rocky shoals that rise at Isla Jicaron off Coiba, this site teems with schools of surgeonfish, spiny mackerel, and snappers, while colourful gorgonians, bright yellow-crusted anemones and frogfish litter the seabed. Groupers, morays, eagle rays, whitetip reef sharks, hammerhead sharks and whale sharks are often encountered here, but beware of the strong currents.

LA NEVERA – Spanish for “refrigerator”, La Navera is a rocky slope off Malpelo’s west coast. The name refers to the cold deep currents that often attract large schools of hammerhead sharks to two cleaning stations at a depth of about 20 metres. In addition, many moray eels, groupers, eagle rays and Galápagos sharks can be spotted here.

ALTAR DE VIRGINIA – Schools of hammerhead sharks sometimes congregate in the shallow waters of Altar de Virginia, a 12-metre-deep bay on the east side of Malpelo. The cleaning stations also attract eagle rays, barracudas, turtles and patrolling Galápagos sharks.

WHEN

1995

WHERE

Colombia

WHAT UNESCO World Heritage Site

Spotted moray eels