Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary

Malpelo is a bare rock ridge in the Colombian Pacific, 500 km from the mainland, guarded by a small naval detachment and surrounded by some of the sharkiest water in the world. The sanctuary, declared in 1995, expanded in stages to roughly 27,000 km² and joined the UNESCO list in 2006. Its steep walls and seamounts gather schooling scalloped hammerheads, hundreds of silky sharks, Galapagos sharks, and — in rare deep-water events — the seldom-seen smalltooth sand tiger. Diving is expedition-grade: exposed blue water, surge against the rock, and depth, reached only by liveaboard on crossings of 30-plus hours, most departing from Panamanian or Colombian ports.

The rules that bind divers

Entry requires advance authorization from Colombia's national parks authority, arranged through the handful of liveaboards permitted to visit; vessel numbers at the island are limited, and the navy checks permits on site. Fishing of any kind is banned throughout the sanctuary, one of the Eastern Pacific's largest no-take zones. Landing on the rock is prohibited without scientific or official clearance. Boats tie to fixed moorings or hold off rather than anchor, and dive rules follow big-animal practice: no touching, no feeding, no chasing, advanced certification and surface-marker use expected.

Fees & permits: Sanctuary entry/diver fees are handled by the permitted liveaboard along with the authorization paperwork; confirm inclusions when booking.