Malpelo Island

The remote island of Malpelo is recognized as one of the best diving sites in the world.

Characterized as much by its steep walls and underwater caves as its richness of marine species. Located about 500 kilometers off the country’s Pacific coast, the island was protected by Colombia as the Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary, and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Due to its remoteness and protected status, Malpelo harbors rich and intact marine ecosystems: hammerheads, silky sharks, whale sharks, and tuna are among the species that can be seen here in large aggregations.
Working with leading marine scientists from Colombia and across the globe, expedition members tagged sharks to capture data on long-range migration, used remote underwater video and open-water cameras to record pelagic species, and measured the abundance of reef fishes and sharks. The team also surveyed the ocean depths through the use of deep-water drop cameras—which can capture life at depths of over 2,000 meters— and by submersible.

In 2016, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos pledged to more than double the size of Malpelo’s Flora and Fauna Sanctuary out to 300 miles from the mainland’s coast. Thanks to the Pristine Seas team’s illumination of the area, the sanctuary, home to one of the world’s largest aggregations of sharks, is fully protected. The extension of Malpelo contributes to being one of the largest no-fishing zones in the region, a total of 20,000 square miles.