Parque Nacional Natural Malpelo

Location:
Colombia

National Park

By Tammy Portnoy

If you love diving, marine wildlife and exploring nature yet to be conquered by civilization, then it is worth the time and energy for you to arrange transportation from Buenaventura to the rocky island of Malpelo.

Two hundred miles off the coast, the island is only one-quarter by two miles, but the surrounding water is recognized as one of the best diving sites in the world. (Many say that it is similar to Cocos, Costa Rica.) The diving sites include the Three Musketeers, La Gringa and the Alter of the Virgin. Divers have the opportunity to see moray eels, snappers, groupers, dolphins, manta rays, silvery baitfish, lobsters, white-tipped reef sharks, goatfish, grunts, jacks, hammerheads, angelfish, starfish, whales, silky sharks and the list goes on and on.

In addition to life under the sea, Malpelo’s volcanic formations make it a wonder to behold and easy to believe that it’s referred to as one of Colombia’s treasures. And, the island is home to a quarter of the world’s population of Nazca Boobies.

Fishing is illegal within a 25-mile radius and in 2006 Malpelo was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But, the wildlife, especially the sharks, are still considered in danger.

For more information about Malpelo’s surrounding waters, check out www.fundacionmalpelo.org