Trip Report Trip Video: Malpelo - February 2025

[NothingClever]

I'm used to sleeping on the aluminum deck of cargo aircraft so the galley will be a pleasant upgrade and I can always pop in some foam ear plugs.

Thanks for the insight!

 

[scubadada]

@Dan

Any drawbacks to a cabin on the port side of the main deck?

I had the starboard main deck cabin in 2021 and the port main deck cabin in 2023. Both are great and avoid going up and down the stairs/ladders to the other rooms. I get up early, the galley never woke me. I wish I was there.

 

[rongoodman]

I'm getting interested in a trip there but I see mentions of a requirement for 50 logged dives. I have ten times that amount, with multiple trips to Cocos and Socorro, but I haven't logged a dive since AOW 20 years ago other than on my computers. Do the operators have a work-around for those of us who just don't log dives on paper?

 

[NothingClever]

…but I haven't logged a dive since AOW 20 years ago other than on my computers.

In an entirely undisciplined and unpredictable manner, I synch my dives to my Shearwater cloud about every 6 to 18 months. I plan to save a screenshot of summary data as an Adobe document and send that to them. I’ll probably throw some blab in the e-mail about Florida drift diving and frequent, proactive use of a DSMB.

 

[rongoodman]

I didn't get any response from Columbia Dive Adventures but Malpelo Tours got right back to me and asked for data from the Shearwater Cloud. I pulled together a list of 16 Aggressor trips off the Aggressor website and sent them that, just because it was quick to do. I haven't heard anything back, but that's over 300 dives, and includes multiple trips out to Cocos. I like the way Mapelo Tours has their trips organized. All I have to do is show up at the airport and everything is taken care of.

 

[NothingClever]

I didn't get any response from Columbia Dive Adventures...

Andrés from Colombia Dive Adventures SAS is very responsive on WhatsApp with the number from their website.

 

[Dan]

Never been yet. Did you actually see hammerheads?

Yep.

 

[Dan]

@Dan

Any drawbacks to a cabin on the port side of the main deck?

Pascal seems to like it. @scubadada had been in it too. I got the starboard side of the main deck and I like it.

 

[Dan]

@Dan

Any drawbacks to a cabin on the port side of the main deck?

I took a look at the cabin after Pascal checked out. It still looks like what @scubadada posted in his report, Trip Report - Return to Malpelo, July 20-30, 2023 on Colombia Dive Adventures, Ferox two years ago. It’s small, but for a single diver, it’s good enough.

It’s a mirror image of what the starboard side cabin where I stayed.

 

[Dan]

On our way back to Cali now.

Last week diving in Malpelo had been as great as the last time I was there in July 2021 & July 2023.

Besides the usual suspects (Whaleshark, Hammerhead, Galapagos, Whitetip, Silky sharks, schooling snappers, barracudas, Leather bass, Bigeye Jack, Creole fish, etc.) we saw Black Reef Manta. The other group saw Ferox.

Hopefully I’m able to edit my trip video and post my report in Scubaboard in 2 weeks.