Pacific Big Animal Circuit: Galapagos, Cocos & Malpelo
Ecuador / Costa Rica / Colombia · 3 stops · Technical
Three remote Pacific islands famous for the most dramatic shark diving on the planet. Darwin and Wolf offer schooling hammerheads and whale sharks, Cocos Island is a UNESCO hammerhead capital, and Malpelo delivers huge silky shark aggregations. A technical liveaboard dream for serious pelagic fans.
Route at a glance
This is a 14-day Technical route through Ecuador / Costa Rica / Colombia, best travelled Jun-Nov. It strings together 3 destinations — typically a liveaboard, a regional circuit, or a mix of islands and reefs — so you can plan around a single trip rather than booking each site separately.
Why this route
- Hundreds of schooling hammerheads at Darwin's Arch
- Whale shark encounters off Cocos Island
- Massive silky shark walls at Malpelo
Stops
Route details
Darwin & Wolf Islands
Wall-and-reef diving with visibility up to 25 m, 4 standout species, liveaboard access, challenging currents — a strong choice for experienced divers.. Darwin & Wolf Islands sits in the Pacific Ocean off Ecuador, a wall and reef system where dives drop from shallow tops into deeper water. Dives run to 50 m with around 25 m visibility, strong currents and sea temperatures of 18–26°C. Marine highlights include hammerheads, whale sharks, galapagos sharks and mantas. Best season is Jun–Nov, typically reached by liveaboard. For trained technical divers. A Technical certification is recommended. Strong currents and dives to 50 m call for solid buoyancy and comfort at depth.
Cocos Island
Wall-and-reef diving with visibility up to 25 m, 4 standout species, liveaboard access, challenging currents — a strong choice for experienced divers.. Cocos Island sits in the Pacific Ocean off Costa Rica, a wall and reef system where dives drop from shallow tops into deeper water. Dives run to 50 m with around 25 m visibility, strong currents and sea temperatures of 24–29°C. Marine highlights include hammerheads, mantas, whale sharks and silky sharks. Best season is Jun–Nov, typically reached by liveaboard. For trained technical divers. A Technical certification is recommended. Strong currents and dives to 50 m call for solid buoyancy and comfort at depth.
Malpelo Island
Wall-and-reef diving with visibility up to 25 m, liveaboard access, challenging currents — a strong choice for experienced divers.. Malpelo Island sits in the Pacific Ocean off Colombia, a wall and reef system where dives drop from shallow tops into deeper water. Dives run to 50 m with around 25 m visibility, strong currents and sea temperatures of 24–28°C. Marine highlights include hammerheads, silky sharks and tuna. Diving is possible year-round, typically reached by liveaboard. For trained technical divers. A Technical certification is recommended. Strong currents and dives to 50 m call for solid buoyancy and comfort at depth.