Malpelo · Colombia · Pinnacle · Cave & cavern
Tres Mosqueteros
Sea stacks with a tunnel swim-through beneath an islet
Area photo: Jdmacarenoq · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tres Mosqueteros is a cluster of sea stacks off the northwest corner of Malpelo. The dives cross walls, canyons, ridges and pinnacles, with a tunnel passing beneath one of the islets and La Catedral as the central pinnacle. Currents can be strong enough to create visible turbulence around the rocks.
Also known as Los Tres Mosqueteros, Three Musketeers.
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
At D'Artagnan, one of the stacks, the route crosses varying terrain: walls, canyons, ridges, pinnacles, a deep plateau, boulder fields and a swim-through, on the way from the surface down to 35 m (115 ft).
La Catedral is the central pinnacle of the cluster. A tunnel passes beneath one of the islets, entered at 21 or 24 m (69 or 79 ft), and it narrows towards the exit.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| 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
- Currents colliding around the rocks can create visible underwater turbulence.
Questions divers ask
Is there a tunnel at Tres Mosqueteros?+
A tunnel passes beneath one of the islets, entered at 21 or 24 m and narrowing towards the exit. Currents around the rocks can be strong, so the site is rated advanced.
Sources
- Guía de buceo de Malpelo — Agenda del Mar
- Malpelo — Divers Alert Network
- Diving in Malpelo — La Plataforma del Buceo
- 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
Wall
Cleaning stations where hammerheads and Galápagos sharks gather
Cave & cavern
Grotto entrance to the La Chupadera tunnel through Malpelo
Similar dives elsewhere
Mother of Sharks: hammerheads and tigers on a lone pinnacle
A seamount 2 km offshore, dived at slack water for pelagics
An 18–35 m rock in open sand, rated expert to technical
Granite arches at the exposed north end of the chain