Malpelo · Colombia · Seamount
El Acuario
Largest dog snapper school at Malpelo, at 27 to 50 m
Area photo: Jdmacarenoq · CC BY-SA 4.0
El Acuario is a seamount at Malpelo with the largest school of dog snapper (Lutjanus aratus) at the island. It is dived between 27 m and 50 m, with strong currents on the seamount. Divers reach it by following a reference line down from a marker buoy.
Also known as The Aquarium.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Malpelo and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
To reach the seamount, divers deploy a marker buoy and descend along the reference line without allowing the current to carry them away. The profile starts at 27 m and reaches 50 m, in strong currents. The largest school of dog snapper at Malpelo gathers here.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Malpelo: Jan-Apr is cooler and drier with a shallow, cold thermocline; May-Dec runs warmer with better visibility and the strongest shark and pelagic activity.
Know before you go
- The strong current can carry divers away from the reference line during the descent.
Sources
- Guía de buceo de Malpelo — Agenda del Mar
- Diving in Malpelo — La Plataforma del Buceo
- Buceo en Malpelo — Te Moana Expeditions
More dive sites in Malpelo
Reef
Gentle slopes and compact coral formations with shark schools
Seamount
Current-swept seamount with hammerhead schools in Jan and Feb
Wall
A wall dive to a 27 m crack with sharks at its exit
Wall
Cleaning stations where hammerheads and Galápagos sharks gather
Cave & cavern
Grotto entrance to the La Chupadera tunnel through Malpelo
Pinnacle
Sea stacks with a tunnel swim-through beneath an islet
Similar dives elsewhere
Wedge into a crevice at 25 m and wait for the hammerheads
A volcanic seamount that shows at low tide and drops to 35 m
Submerged mountain at the mouth of Ensenada de Utría
Galapagos sharks over a crown with no shallow water anywhere