Malpelo Island

Malpelo (Spanish: Isla de Malpelo ) is an island in the eastern Pacific and a nature reserve in Colombia. It belongs to the Departamento del Valle del Cauca.

The archipelago is of volcanic origin. The main island of Malpelo has a length of 1,643 m, a maximum width of 727 meters and its highest peak reaches a height of about 300 meters above the sea. Malpelo covers an area of ​​35 hectares (0.35 km ²) and, together with 10 other small islands, a nature reserve of 2.5 km ². Four small islands to the north known as: Los Mosqueteros, two in the East ( Vagamares and La Torta ) and five in the far south (Los Tres Reyes, La Gringa and Escuba ). It is located about 500 km west of the Pacific coast of Colombia.

It is one of the most frequently visited by scientists and divers islands in the Pacific. The island can also be visited only with the written approval of the Ministry of Ecology. Malpelo is particularly visited by divers who appreciate it due to the large volume of sharks ( individual sand tiger sharks, silky sharks and huge schools hammerheads ).

On the otherwise uninhabited island a permanent basis by the National fleet of Colombia is maintained that ensures the preservation of the area and to take action against the illegal shark fishing and beyond also protects other species of fish.

In 1995, the Colombian government Malpelo declared a protected area category " Santuario de Fauna y Flora" ( SFF) and in 2002, the conservation status of the Organización Maritima Internacional ( OMI ) and Malpelo was to " Zona Marina especialmente Sensitive " declared. On 12 June 2006 Malpelo was included as Santuario de Fauna y Flora Malpelo in the list of UNESCO World Natural Heritage.

Gallery

Cliffs of Malpelo

Nazcatölpel on Malpelo