El Arrecife

El Arrecife runs along Malpelo's flank as the island's workhorse dive, a sloping rock reef where nearly everything the sanctuary protects makes an appearance. Hammerhead schools materialize out of deeper water, break apart around the divers' bubbles, and reform; Galapagos sharks own the mid-water; whitetips and morays fill the terrain. In the warm months silky sharks gather here in the extraordinary aggregations Malpelo is known for, sometimes hundreds strong near the surface, turning the safety stop into the dive's climax. Seasonal visitors - a whale shark cruising the drop, tuna blasting through bait - round out a site that rewards simply staying put and watching.

اللحظة التي جئت من أجلها: Silky aggregations in season, reforming hammerhead schools, action from seabed to safety stop

التضاريس: Sloping rock reef falling to walls and deep water

المخاطر: Strong current along the slope; blue-water ascents with attentive panga cover required.

نيتروكس: يستحق هنا — تقع البروفايلات في النطاق الذي يمدّد فيه النيتروكس وقت التوقف اللاإلزامي بشكل ملموس (بشرط امتلاك التدريب اللازم لاستخدامه).