Galápagos · Ecuador · Wall · Channel & pass
Kicker Rock
A tuff cone split in two, its walls dropping straight to the bottom
Photo: MusikAnimal · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kicker Rock, León Dormido in Spanish for its likeness to a sleeping sea lion, is a sheer-walled tuff cone off San Cristóbal that waves have split into two halves. Its outer walls rise 60 m above the sea and drop straight to a bottom at about 20 m, dived in mild to moderate current.
Also known as León Dormido, Leon Dormido.
Where it is and how deep
0.7771° S, 89.5199° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive follows the outside walls of the cone, which fall straight from the surface to a bottom at approximately 20 m. The currents along the rock are mild to moderate, and the sheer faces call for good buoyancy control.
On the two-dive day the first dive explores the outcropping and the second goes through the natural central channel that cuts through the rock between the towering walls, ending on the far side. Schools of hammerhead sharks are expected here.
Marine life and season
- Hammerheads
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Galápagos: December to May brings warmer, calmer and clearer water; June to November is choppier and colder but better for ocean sunfish.
Know before you go
- Sheer walls drop straight to the bottom, so good buoyancy control is needed throughout the dive.
Photos from Kicker Rock
Xxchangwoo0120xx · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dive videos
Scuba Diving Kicker Rock, Galapagos · HoneyTrek on YouTube
Sources
- Kicker Rock diving tour — Scuba Iguana
- OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap
Photo credits
- Two divers in the water behind a white twin-engine dive boat moored below a sheer grey rock wall, with the sun flaring over the top by MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A tall flat-topped rock and a separate narrow spire rising from calm blue sea under a clear sky by Xxchangwoo0120xx, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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