500 Adrenaline Adventures (Frommer's) - Lois Friedland [37]
Divers come from all over the world to swim with the sharks in Malpelo.
Massive, spectacular sea caves, where smaller fish seek harbor from rough mid-ocean conditions, are what make Malpelo and its offshore rock stacks such a consistently thrilling place to dive. These ecological conditions are a magnet for the shark species so frequently seen here, and at relatively shallow depths. Visibility underwater is generally excellent. There are more than 500 scalloped hammerheads swimming around Malpelo, as well as silky sharks, bull sharks, white-tip sharks, manta rays, barracuda, and an astounding number of moray eels. It’s also one of few places in the world where the rare small-tooth sand tiger shark is commonly seen, off a rock wall known as “Monster Face.” More friendly faced creatures in the vicinity include dolphins, sea turtles, and the occasional humpback whale on migratory routes. The prehistoric hammerheads, which measure up to 4.2m (14 ft.) in length and swim in formidable synchronized matrices—a dazzling sight for divers—may look monstrous, but neither they nor any of the other species off Malpelo are aggressive toward humans.
Unless you’re an experienced and intrepid diver (there are strong currents to contend with in addition to the toothy sea life), there’s no reason to visit Malpelo. The island’s name is a corruption of the Latin nickname a sailor once gave this barren rock: Malveolus, or “inhospitable,” which pretty well sums up the above-water aspect of the place. The island—“rock” is more like it—is uninhabited by humans except for a small Colombian navy garrison. Some other fauna, however, are perfectly suited to this seemingly hostile environment: A colony of some 25,000 Nazca, or masked boobies, thrives on tiny Malpelo, and there are a number of endemic species, including lizards and crabs, that live on the algae and lichens that grow on the crags. —SM
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1216.
Tour: Undersea Hunter, Puntarenas, Costa Rica ( 506/2228-6613;www.underseahunter.com).
San Jose International, Costa Rica. Diving trips depart from Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
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Cenote & Cave Diving
A Sacred Underworld
Riviera Maya, Mexico
The many cenotes (canyons or sinkholes) running along the Riviera Maya have quite a history. Carved out of the Yucatan Peninsula’s limestone surface, their pools of water sustained ancient cultures including the Mayans, who revered them as sacred places. It’s easy to see why.
As you approach a cenote’s cool cavernous opening, you’ll see jagged edges caused by years of erosion, often overgrown with trees and other jungle vegetation. Bats hang overhead. Narrow streaks of light slip through the small hole above as you plunge into the crystal clear, calm water. After your submerge, your eyes slowly adjust to the darkness (or you turn on your dive light), and countless bizarre stalactites—in the shape of columns, icicles, and chandeliers—come into view. Small fish glide between your legs. As you descend farther and explore this strange subterranean place, it’s like entering another world.
Cenote diving along Mexico’s Riviera Maya.
Although it may be tempting to go even deeper, there are strict rules about who can dive where in this maze-like environment. Guidelines on standards and certifications differentiate a cenote from a cave. In the diving context, a cenote is defined as an area where there is visible light every 60m (200 ft.), while a cave extends beyond those dimensions. To explore a cenote as a certified open-water diver, you must go with a cave-certified guide. The only divers permitted to enter cave systems are certified cave divers, who have the skills and understand the safety procedures for this type of technical diving. If you’re determined to go further than cenotes and dive in the caves, specialized certification courses