La Nevera (The Fridge)

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.

Het moment waar je voor komt: Hammerheads at the cleaning stations, thermocline shark pulses, daylight free-swimming morays

Topografie: Rock ridges and cleaning-station outcrops off the island's northern end

Stroming: The name honors the cold pulses that ride the current onto the site - the sharks arrive with them.

Gevaren: Cold pulses, strong current, surge against bare rock, and total remoteness.

Behoud: Sanctuary of Fauna and Flora Malpelo; permitted vessels only, no anchoring, no landings.

Nitrox: Hier de moeite waard: profielen liggen in het bereik waar nitrox de no-stop-tijd zinvol verlengt (met de juiste training om het te gebruiken).