Colombia

Best Time to Dive in Malpelo

3.98°N 81.59°W

Go February to March. Conditions are at their best, and the draw is schooling scalloped hammerheads.

Best time
Feb–Mar
Water
26–28 °C
Visibility
15–30 m
Dived from
liveaboard
Tidal range
1.7–3.2 m
Species logged
11

Where it is

Colombia
250 kmN

888 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m

Diving in Malpelo — monthly breakdown

Best months at this destination

A year of scuba diving conditions at a glance. Hover a month to isolate it.

Month by month conditions, water temperature, visibility and marine life
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
ConditionsExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentPoorPoorPoorPoorPoorPoorPoor
Water temp (°C)282726282828272727272727
Visibility (m)20–3015–2515–2515–2520–3020–3020–3020–3020–3020–3020–3020–30
Marine lifePeakPeakPeakPeakPeakSteadySteadySteadySteadySteadySteadySteady
Best timePeakPeak
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Feb–Mar

Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.

The Malpelo diving season

2 seasons

January to May · Peak season

5 months
Water temperature
26–28 °C
Visibility
15–25 m
Rain
16 days a month

Diving conditionsIt rains less.

Marine lifeScalloped hammerhead (near-guaranteed), Whale shark (hit-or-miss) peak at Malpelo in these months.

June to December · Off season

7 months
Water temperature
27–28 °C
Visibility
20–30 m
Rain
22 days a month

Diving conditionsIt rains more.

Marine lifeScalloped hammerhead (near-guaranteed), Tiger shark (hit-or-miss) peak at Malpelo in these months.

  • Spring tides run 3.2 m against 1.7 m on neaps, so currents build around the full and new moon.
  • Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
  • Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.

Malpelo water temperature and weather

813 underwater observation records · 22 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature

Water & weather

Malpelo water temperature by month

The dashed line is the monthly average. Eight days in ten fall inside the band.

242526272829JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSea temperature (°C)

10th to 90th percentile rangemonthly mean

Rarely
rough enough to cancel

Seas top 2.5 m on 1% of days. Enough to cancel a liveaboard crossing

0
blowy days a month

Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port

19
wet days a month

6 of them bring heavy rain

Monthly sea state, wind, rain, air temperature and daylight
MonthSwellGusts over 40 km/hWet daysHeavy rainAirDaylight
January1.8 m1%22627 °C11.8 h
February2.0 m2%8227 °C11.9 h
March1.8 m1%5027 °C12.0 h
April2.0 m0%19728 °C12.1 h
May2.2 m0%25928 °C12.2 h
June2.2 m0%24927 °C12.2 h
July2.2 m1%25827 °C12.2 h
August2.1 m0%22527 °C12.1 h
September2.2 m0%21427 °C12.0 h
October2.1 m0%16427 °C11.9 h
November2.3 m0%18526 °C11.8 h
December1.8 m0%25926 °C11.8 h

Swell is the rough end of the month: nine days in ten come in under it. Sea temperature covers 10 years, waves 4.

Pick your week

48 weeks from the daily record. Darker is better, against this site's own year. Pick a month for the detail.

Conditions by week, four weeks per month
Week 1January week 1: ExcellentFebruary week 1: GoodMarch week 1: ExcellentApril week 1: ExcellentMay week 1: GoodJune week 1: PoorJuly week 1: PoorAugust week 1: ModerateSeptember week 1: PoorOctober week 1: PoorNovember week 1: PoorDecember week 1: Poor
Week 2January week 2: ExcellentFebruary week 2: ExcellentMarch week 2: ExcellentApril week 2: GoodMay week 2: GoodJune week 2: PoorJuly week 2: PoorAugust week 2: PoorSeptember week 2: PoorOctober week 2: PoorNovember week 2: PoorDecember week 2: Poor
Week 3January week 3: ExcellentFebruary week 3: ExcellentMarch week 3: ExcellentApril week 3: GoodMay week 3: ExcellentJune week 3: PoorJuly week 3: PoorAugust week 3: PoorSeptember week 3: PoorOctober week 3: PoorNovember week 3: PoorDecember week 3: Poor
Week 4January week 4: ExcellentFebruary week 4: ExcellentMarch week 4: ExcellentApril week 4: GoodMay week 4: ExcellentJune week 4: PoorJuly week 4: PoorAugust week 4: PoorSeptember week 4: ModerateOctober week 4: PoorNovember week 4: PoorDecember week 4: Poor
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of February

February, week by week

WeekConditionsWaterSwellWindRain chance
Week 1Good27 °C2.3 m23 km/h40%
Week 2Excellent27 °C2.0 m21 km/h33%
Week 3Excellent27 °C2.0 m21 km/h25%
Week 4Excellent26 °C1.8 m23 km/h17%

10 years of daily records, averaged into weeks.

Gear & storms

What to wear

Off the coldest water of each month, not the average — that is what the suit has to cope with.

Wetsuit thickness by month
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
SuitJanuary: 3 mmFebruary: 3 mmMarch: 3 mmApril: 3 mmMay: skinJune: skinJuly: 3 mmAugust: 3 mmSeptember: 3 mmOctober: 3 mmNovember: 3 mmDecember: 3 mm
  • Jul–Apr3 mm full suit
  • May–Junskin or 3 mm shorty

Swell through the year

The rough end of each month — nine days in ten come in under it.

JanJanuary: 1.8 metresFebFebruary: 2.0 metresMarMarch: 1.8 metresAprApril: 2.0 metresMayMay: 2.2 metresJunJune: 2.2 metresJulJuly: 2.2 metresAugAugust: 2.1 metresSepSeptember: 2.2 metresOctOctober: 2.1 metresNovNovember: 2.3 metresDecDecember: 1.8 metres

Amber is over 2.5 m.

Tides

springs 3.4 mneaps 1.7 mneapsone lunar month
Daily tidal range across one lunar month.

Tropical storms

No tropical storm has come within 250 km in 30 years of records. Swell and wind set the season, not cyclones.

  • NOAASea surface temperature, from OISST and MUR
  • ERA5Wind, waves, rain and air temperature, via Open-Meteo
  • OBISMarine species records within 60 km
  • IBTrACSTropical cyclone tracks, 1996 to 2025

Malpelo marine life — what you'll see diving

813 records within 60 km
SpeciesWhenObserved windowReliabilityEvidenceRecords
Scalloped hammerheadAll yearNear-guaranteed
18/22
283
Whitetip reef sharkAll yearLikely
13/22
188
Silky sharkJan–MarLikely
7/22
53
Whale sharkJanHit-or-miss
6/22
24
Spotted eagle rayJan–AprHit-or-miss
4/22
75
Tiger sharkAugHit-or-miss
1/22
11
Bottlenose dolphinMar, Nov–DecLikely
11/22
48
Yellowfin tunaFeb–Mar, Jun, OctHit-or-miss
4/22
25
Bigeye trevallyFeb, OctHit-or-miss
2/22
18
Humpback whaleAug, NovHit-or-miss
5/22
9
Common dolphinMar, Aug, DecHit-or-miss
5/22
8
Peak Present
Observed window
Months with records. Peak is where most of them fall.
Reliability
  • Near-guaranteed in 60% of surveyed years or more
  • Likely 30% to 60%
  • Hit-or-miss under 30%
Evidence
Years it was seen, out of the years anyone surveyed.
Records
OBIS sightings within 60 km.

These are sightings people logged, not a full survey of the reef. A species missing from a month may just mean nobody recorded one.

Diving Malpelo — common questions

When is the best time to dive Malpelo?
Go February to March. Conditions are at their best, and the draw is schooling scalloped hammerheads.
When is the diving season in Malpelo?
The diving season in Malpelo runs February to March.
Is the diving in Malpelo good for beginners?
Not really. It is for experienced divers, so it is not a place to learn or to make your first dives after certification.
How warm is the water in Malpelo?
Between 26 and 28 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in March and warmest in May. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
What wetsuit do I need in Malpelo?
A 3 mm full suit covers the coldest water of the year. In the warmest months a skin or 3 mm shorty is enough.
What is the visibility like in Malpelo?
Roughly 15 to 30 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
What will I see diving Malpelo?
The most consistently recorded species are Scalloped hammerhead (near-guaranteed), Whitetip reef shark (likely) and Silky shark (likely), from 813 records within 60 km.
Does Malpelo get tropical storms?
No. None has passed within 250 km in 30 years of records.
Is there current in Malpelo?
The tide rises and falls 3.2 m around the full and new moon, against 1.7 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
When should I avoid Malpelo?
June–December are the weakest months for conditions.
How do you dive Malpelo?
Mostly from liveaboards. Trips run through the season, Feb–Mar.