Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido)
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily — treat everything here as planning ranges.
Kicker Rock is a wave-cut remnant of a tuff cone standing nearly 150 m out of the sea off San Cristobal, split by a channel a few meters wide at the waterline. Underwater, that cut is the show: divers hold position in the channel while scalloped hammerheads and Galapagos sharks cruise the length of it, silhouetted against the far opening. Turtles and eagle rays traffic the outer walls, and sea lions from the nearby colony strafe the shallows. Because it works as a snorkel too, pangas cluster here on busy mornings - underwater, the walls swallow the crowd. For many San Cristobal-based divers this is the trip's signature dive.
The moment you come for: Sharks transiting the channel, sheer walls, snorkeling with sea lions and turtles
Topography: Vertical tuff walls and a sand-floored channel
Current: Current runs through the channel between the two rocks; the standard dive works the cut and the outer walls.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Current through the cut, surge near the walls, boat traffic overhead.
Conservation: Galapagos Marine Reserve; snorkel and dive groups share the site under guide supervision.
Who you'll meet
Galápagos Sea Lion
Galápagos Shark
Green Sea Turtle
Scalloped Hammerhead
Spotted Eagle Ray
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★★ · Macro: ★☆☆☆☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting