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.

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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.

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