Malpelo · Colombia · Reef
El Altar
Gentle slopes and compact coral formations with shark schools
Area photo: Jdmacarenoq · CC BY-SA 4.0
El Altar is a calm zone of Malpelo where the slopes are gentler than elsewhere around the rock and the reef carries the most abundant and compact coral formations. The dive runs between 10 m and 30 m in mild currents, with large schools of hammerhead, whitetip and Galápagos sharks passing over the coral.
Also known as El Altar de Virginia, El Arrecife, Altar of the Virgin.
Where it is and how deep
4.0033° N, 81.6076° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive follows a quiet zone of the island where the slopes are gentler than on the walls elsewhere around Malpelo. The profile sits between 10 m and 30 m and the currents here are mild, which suits an acclimatisation dive at the rock.
The reef holds the most abundant and compact coral formations of the dive. Over it gather shoals of barracuda, groupers and snappers, and large schools of hammerhead, whitetip and Galápagos sharks pass along the slope.
Marine life and season
- Hammerheads
- Reef sharks
- Barracuda
- Groupers
| 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.
Questions divers ask
Is El Altar a good acclimatisation dive at Malpelo?+
El Altar is a calm zone with gentler slopes and mild currents, and the dive runs between 10 m and 30 m. It suits an acclimatisation dive and is reached only from a liveaboard.
Sources
- Guía de buceo de Malpelo — Agenda del Mar
- Buceo en Malpelo — Te Moana Expeditions
More dive sites in Malpelo
Seamount
Largest dog snapper school at Malpelo, at 27 to 50 m
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
Shallow rocky entry at 8 m, hammerheads scanned from 25 m
A canyon and swim-through back to the island from 30 m
Hammerhead and reef sharks between 10 and 30 m
Garden corals on the outer rocks of Tres Marías