Doņa Mariela is a twin diesel engine steelboat, equipped by divers for diving expeditions only. We have Radar, Generator, 2 radio, 2 compressors, GPS, 30 divetanks, 2 bathrooms, freshwaterplant, freshwater shower and equipment flush. diverplatform at water level, 3 divedinghis with outboard motors to reach all divesites around malpelo in minutes in small groups of 5 divers 1 guide. The ship is a fully equipped floating divebase that is capable to sustain true non limit diving for a group of up to 14 divers with no delay exept deco intervall during a 8 day expedition. Living conditions are far from crowded. Ship is clean, no rust no cucarachas, fresh bed sheets, fine expedition athmosphere.

Total tour time is 8 days First day is departure from club sabaletas in buenaventura 6 pm. Nighttrip arrival 6 am in Gorgona. 3 (check) drift dives. At evenening departure to malpelo 48 hours trip to malpelo. Full diving. Only one short land trip (maybe) to visit the military post and keep good relations. Trip back to buenaventura is without stop in Gorgona you arrive about midday of day 8 in club sabaletas. Total: 4 travel days 4 dive days.

Is travel to colombia dangerous ?

Not especially. You will come with an international flight to airport bogota and then go directly on another plane that brings you to buenaventura in a two hour flight. Ivan the tour operator will bring you from the airport to the boat and be with you on the whole trip. You will not have any travel over land except the few kilometers within a mayor city buenaventura from airport to harbour. Nobody will get in contact with you or know that you are here. Except ivan and the ship crew. So probability to fall in guerilla or paramilitary groups or criminals hands are extremly low. I am austrian living since eight years in colombia never had any problem. Traveling in bus overland. Visiting ranches in rural areas etc. all is possible and seems perfectly safe to me. So what is your probability to get problems in a five minute transfer ? Anyhow if you are VERY safety minded and have no adventure spirit at all, diving with sharks may not be your best vacation option anyway. What we try is to reduce risks to a necessary minimum. In general terms the risk of travel is by far lower than risk of dive accidents.

do i need spanish?

No. Ivan and the diveguides speak english. Anyhow you will not have to explain major things. You are here to dive, you will get your tank when you come out of the water food when you are hungry sleep when everybody else does. You may loose some conversation like "this big was the shark" but there is little time to conversate if you are diving you can not speak anyhow, if you are on surface you prepare your gear, eat, or get some sleep. This is divesafari it is clear what to do, clear what is needed. No questions no big converations. The crew is familar with guests comming from all over the world . Someone on board will translate if can express yourself in english.

how do i get on an expedition ?

Expeditions to malpelo can be booked as group trip for dive clubs with 10 active divers you get 2 or 3 colombian dive guides which know the divesites and an expedition leader who organizes all stuff. Also the ships capitain and crew of 3. Cost per diver 1700 USD for 8 day trip. Includes tanks and weight, full service, nonlimit diving. Aditional gear rental is 2.6 USD per piece and day. You also can join an existing expedition if you are single diver (or smaller group) to organize the shedule please contact early (about 3 months before departure date).

skill levels required

If you book a malpelo adventure you are supposed to have a open water diver pass and a couple of dives in your log. Anyhow most important for this trip is that you are relaxed under water in drift dives and in presence of sharks, which depends more on your spirit than on your dive log. As diving is drift dive and you will be picked up by the dinghy where ever you come up this is not top sportsmen dive only. Anyhow you will have check dives at gorgona to give the diveguides an idea where you stand.