La Nevera (The Fridge)
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.
La Nevera earns its nickname the moment a thermocline rolls through and the temperature drops several degrees in a fin kick - and with the cold water come the hammerheads. This northern corner of Malpelo works as a cleaning complex: scalloped hammerheads circle in from the blue to hover over the outcrops while barberfish and king angelfish pick them clean, and on strong days the circling singles become schools. Silky sharks ride the warm layer above, Galapagos sharks patrol mid-water, and free-swimming morays - a Malpelo signature - cross open rock in daylight. It is raw, cold-shot, big-animal diving with nothing decorative about it.
The moment you come for: Hammerheads at the cleaning stations, thermocline shark pulses, daylight free-swimming morays
Topography: Rock ridges and cleaning-station outcrops off the island's northern end
Current: The name honors the cold pulses that ride the current onto the site - the sharks arrive with them.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Cold pulses, strong current, surge against bare rock, and total remoteness.
Conservation: Sanctuary of Fauna and Flora Malpelo; permitted vessels only, no anchoring, no landings.
Nitrox: Worth it here — profiles sit in the range where enriched air meaningfully extends no-stop time (with the training to use it).
Who you'll meet
Galápagos Shark
Scalloped Hammerhead
Silky Shark
Whitetip Reef Shark
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★★ · Macro: ★☆☆☆☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting