Dive Review of Columbia Dive Adventures in
Colombia

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Columbia Dive Adventures: "Inspiring Diving In Malpelo", Jun, 2023, by Dean, CO, US ( Reviewer 3 reports with 7 Helpful votes). Report 12800 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Inspiring Diving In Malpelo Summary Malpelo is a stunning site that is special for its variety and quantity of fish and the pristine ruggedness of its location. There are many reasons that it is a UNESCO World Heritage site but the overall diving experience is what drew me here. For others it is the opportunity to see sharks such as large schools of hammerheads and silkys, Galapagos sharks, and occasional tiger sharks. So strong is the allure of Malpelo, for most of the divers onboard this was a repeat trip and some were in the middle of multiple trips for the year. I understand their enthusiasm and would highly recommend this destination and Colombia Dive Adventures. Diving Highlights UNESCO Heritage Site From the UNESCO web site “Malpelo is the largest no-fishing zone in the Eastern Tropical Pacific…Widely recognized as one of the top diving sites in the world, due to the presence of steep walls and caves of outstanding natural beauty, these deep waters support important populations of large predators and pelagic species (e.g. aggregations of over 200 hammerhead sharks and over 1,000 silky sharks, whale sharks and tuna have been recorded) in an undisturbed environment where they maintain natural behavioral patterns.” Park Staff A volunteer organization, Protect Malpelo, and the park maintain a catamaran on the site for staff to protect against illegal fishing, monitor the environment, and educate divers. They often spend time on the Ferox and are a great source of information about the inhabitants of the island above and below the water along with sharing tales of illegal fishing encounters. This starts after the Ferox arrives at Malpelo where they provide an informative presentation about the island, protection measures, and what is expected from divers to ensure the quality of the marine park is maintained. No onerous restrictions: don’t touch the bottom, don’t harass the wildlife, no reef hooks, etc. They also accompany the divers to survey their adherence to the rules. Protect Malpelo has some excellent information on their web site along with pics and video. https://www.protectmalpelo.org Military The military maintains a small outpost on the island and will occasionally visit the ship. It’s entertaining to watch as they access their post using a rope ladder that rises 50’-75’ from the water. They perform a vital service as they are able to scan for poachers from high atop the island and have the communication gear to call in the navy when needed. Adventure Diving Malpelo has the feel of adventure. It’s remote location, lack of amenities, tales of divers lost, and ongoing struggles against poachers remind you that this isn’t your typical Caribbean excursion. Only one LOB at a time can be moored at Malpelo and the number of divers is limited. For us, this means that the 10 divers onboa ... Subscribe to get the full story. Active subscribers continue reading here
Websites	Columbia Dive Adventures
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Caribbean, Indonesia, Fiji, Australia, Malaysia, Mexico, Florida, California, Columbia, Costa Rica, Hawaii, French Polynesia, other inland reservoirs.
Closest Airport	Cali	Getting There	Denver to Miami. Miami to Cali. Overnight in Cali then 3 hour bus ride to Buenaventura to the Ferox
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, rainy, cloudy	Seas	calm, choppy, surge, currents
Water Temp	81-84°F / 27-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	25-75 Ft/ 8-23 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Dove as a group for safety reasons. With only 6 divers and a guide for both groups there was plenty of room to spread out. Dive times were typically 65-75 mins and max depth was 85'-100'. Park rules emphasized care of the site and wildlife. These rules were adhered to by staff and divers.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	1 or 2
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Accommodations for UWP were meager. There is a spartan camera table on the deck that is used for multiple purposes. Fortunately, on my trip there weren't a lot ... Subscribe to get the full story. Active subscribers continue reading here

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Dive Review of Columbia Dive Adventures in Colombia

Columbia Dive Adventures: "Inspiring Diving In Malpelo", Jun, 2023,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Columbia Dive Adventures in
Colombia