Malpelo · Colombia · Wall
La Nevera
Cleaning stations where hammerheads and Galápagos sharks gather
Area photo: Jdmacarenoq · CC BY-SA 4.0
La Nevera is a gently sloping wall on the western side of Malpelo, home to the cleaning stations where hammerhead and Galápagos sharks gather. The wall drops from 9 m to about 33 m and is normally dived over two separate dives, with the entry set by the current. Whale sharks are also possible.
Also known as Nevera.
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
La Nevera lies on the western side of the island and is made up of several sections: Frenchman's Cave, Nevera Reef, The Lookout and The Cleaning Station. The wall has a gentle slope that falls from 9 m to about 33 m. It is normally completed over two separate dives, and the entry point depends on the direction of the current.
Along the slope are the cleaning stations of the hammerhead and Galápagos sharks. Groups of hammerheads pass in the blue in successive waves, just above the thermocline at 24 m (80 ft). Whale sharks can also be met here.
Marine life and season
- Hammerheads
- Reef sharks
- Whale sharks
| 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.
Dive videos
La Nevera Dive Site - Sanctuary of Flora and Fauna of Malpelo Island · Interceptor121 on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How many dives does the La Nevera wall take?+
The wall is normally completed over two separate dives, and the entry point depends on the direction of the current. The profile runs from 9 m to 33 m along a gentle slope.
Sources
- Guía de buceo de Malpelo — Agenda del Mar
- Diving in Malpelo — La Plataforma del Buceo
- Malpelo — Divers Alert Network
- Buceo en Malpelo — Te Moana Expeditions
More dive sites in Malpelo
Seamount
Largest dog snapper school at Malpelo, at 27 to 50 m
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
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
The archipelago's most reliable mola mola wall, in some of its coldest water
Sand and rock platform whose edge drops into cliffs where pelagic species pass
Hook into the plateau lip and let the sharks stack up off the edge
A manta cleaning station on Isabela's shoreline, current gentler than Darwin or Wolf