Best time to dive Malpelo

Liveaboard-only (~40 h). Huge schools of silky sharks and hammerheads year-round. Smalltooth sand tigers gather deep (50 m+) at Bajo del Monstruo for a few weeks between December and April, not every trip.

Peak season: June–December

Best upcoming months:7.3December 2027 7.2November 2027 7.1October 2027

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Overall diving, month by month

Balanced scoring · forecasts include the 2026/27 El Niño outlook

Confidence: Nov low · Dec low · Jan low · Feb low · Mar low · Apr low · May low · Jun low · Jul low · Aug low · Sep low · Oct low · Nov low · Dec low

What's good when

Each attribute scored 0–10 for every month

	Nov2026	Dec	Jan2027	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Pelagic & big animals	7	7	7	7	7	8	8	9	9	9	9	9	10	10
Macro life	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
Coral & reef health	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1
Visibility	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7
Water temperature	10	10	10	10	9	10	10	9	8	8	8	8	8	8
Weather & sea state	6	7	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	7
Operations & access	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9

Climate outlook

How this year's forecast differs from a typical year

Water temperature +2.9 °C · El Niño warms surface water and suppresses upwelling (Nov 2026 – December 2027)
Pelagic & big animals -2.3 · Warm water pushes hammerheads deep and thins pelagic action (La Niña helps) (Nov 2026 – December 2027)
Coral & reef health -1.6 · Marine heatwave stress on reefs and reef fish (Nov 2026 – December 2027)
Weather & sea state -1.2 · El Niño brings heavy rain in the warm season (Jan 2027 – May 2027)

Water temperature & visibility

Month	Water	Visibility
November 2026	29.3 °C (85 °F)	15–25 m
December 2026	29.4 °C (85 °F)	15–25 m
January 2027	29.1 °C (84 °F)	15–25 m
February 2027	28.2 °C (83 °F)	15–25 m
March 2027	27.7 °C (82 °F)	15–25 m
April 2027	28.1 °C (83 °F)	15–25 m
May 2027	28.2 °C (83 °F)	15–25 m
June 2027	27.2 °C (81 °F)	15–25 m
July 2027	26.5 °C (80 °F)	15–25 m
August 2027	26.3 °C (79 °F)	15–25 m
September 2027	26.1 °C (79 °F)	15–25 m
October 2027	26.0 °C (79 °F)	15–25 m
November 2027	25.8 °C (78 °F)	15–25 m
December 2027	25.8 °C (78 °F)	15–25 m

Marine life calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
scalloped hammerhead	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
silky shark	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
smalltooth sand tiger	●	●	●	●								●

Peak = best odds · ● = regularly seen · blank = unlikely. Calendar months, every year.

About the diving

Difficulty: Expert
Current strength: 5 / 5
Luxury level: 2 / 5
Typical depth: 15–35 m
Max depth of interest: 40 m
Dive styles: Liveaboard
Suggested certification: Advanced Open Water + experience in strong currents
Nearest airport: BUN
Snorkelling: Limited
Known for: scalloped hammerhead, silky shark, smalltooth sand tiger

Famous sites: La Nevera · El Arrecife · Altar de Virgen · Monster Face

Season notes & sources

Liveaboard-only (~40 h). Huge schools of silky sharks and hammerheads year-round. Smalltooth sand tigers gather deep (50 m+) at Bajo del Monstruo for a few weeks between December and April, not every trip.