Trip Report Malpelo January 2024

[Interceptor121]

After a first summer trip I returned to Malpelo on the trip of 21-30 January.
The outbound crossing was tough due to waves hitting the boat on the side. This resulted in most guests having sea sickness. I don’t suffer it myself but I took medication after the first 8 hours bouncing.
Once arrived there water was hot El nino and global warming made the surface 28 the thermocline was around 25 meters visibility best case 15 meters but more 10 sometimes 5.
Marine life different from summer. We saw rare galapagos sharks but plenty of hammers and eagle rays. Silky sharks were occasional most quantity were under the boat at night.
Best diving was close to the island up to Bajo del Monstruo where we had the largest school of hammers in clear conditions.
We also had a whale shark which was unusual at this time of year.
The three musketeers were not as good as in the summer. The jacks were on the three kings in the south.
Some images and a long video of the trip below

 

[Johnoly]

We saw rare galapagos sharks but plenty of hammers and eagle rays.

Great video of the sharks and rays!!

 

[Rat Diver]

Nice school of eagle rays.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @Interceptor121

Beautiful video, thanks

I have been to Malpelo twice in the summer, 2021 and 2023. I will be returning in March 2025. I was surprised at the warm water temperature you had. I have seen many, many Galapagos Sharks but not the numbers of Hammerhead Sharks you saw. There have been a good number of Eagle Rays on my trips but nothing like the huge school in your video. That was a particularly gorgeous school of Pelican Barracuda.

 

[Interceptor121]

Hi @Interceptor121

Beautiful video, thanks

I have been to Malpelo twice in the summer, 2021 and 2023. I will be returning in March 2025. I was surprised at the warm water temperature you had. I have seen many, many Galapagos Sharks but not the numbers of Hammerhead Sharks you saw. There have been a good number of Eagle Rays on my trips but nothing like the huge school in your video. That was a particularly gorgeous school of Pelican Barracuda.

Hammerheads need cooler water. Unfortunately with the water temperature rising the window gets smaller and smaller
Galapagos sharks instead like warm water but don't really have a schooling behaviours they go around in circle at mostly the same depth
Malpelo offers many different situations for marine life however you can't get a certain fish species when the conditions are not there within recreational dive depth limits and rebreathers and technical diving are not supported

 

[nldunn]

Wow!! Fabulous video!! How hard is the diving here?? Lots of currents? Thank you!

 

[NothingClever]

@Interceptor121

Brilliant video and photos of an epic trip!

Can't believe I missed the video when you posted.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[dougorama]

Do you have a favorite place for Hammerheads? Or most reliable? Cocos?

 

[Grm]

Hi in answer to the current question they can be strong but sites are selected each day to try and minimise the worst current, in my experience they are mild to medium. Certainly experienced much worse currents elsewhere such as Maldives and Nusa Lembongan,
Can’t comment much on Hammerheads but on both my trips here they have been about in some numbers (especially out in the blue), likewise Galapagos.

 

[nldunn]

Hi in answer to the current question they can be strong but sites are selected each day to try and minimise the worst current, in my experience they are mild to medium. Certainly experienced much worse currents elsewhere such as Maldives and Nusa Lembongan,
Can’t comment much on Hammerheads but on both my trips here they have been about in some numbers (especially out in the blue), likewise Galapagos.

Thank you for that information!!