The world‘s finest diving

Ferox

Ferox, a muscular 32-meter (105-foot) ice-classed vessel was refitted in 2018 and is now home-away-from home for 12 guests on a Malpelo diving experience of a lifetime!

A word from Dom :  “When we lost the wonderful Yemaya to the Bahamas a few years ago, we gained this formidable-looking vessel which ideally fits the nature of Malpelo’s adventure diving.  Ferox is not a luxury vessel … but, an adventure boat, willing to take you on a wild & exhilarating Malpelo experience !  I’ll be happy to talk you through the realities.  Don’t hesitate to contact me. ”  Dominick Macan

 

On board ferox

main deck SINGLE cabins
single bed, en-suite & porthole
lower deck DOUBLE cabins
double bed, en-suite, TV & portholes
lower deck TWIN cabins
2 twin beds (not bunk beds), en-suite & port hole
lower deck SINGLE cabins
1 twin bed, en-suite & port hole

All cabins have air conditioning, a private bathroom & adequate storage facilities.

 

up to 3 dives per day from the tenders
12 liter alu tanks (DIN & INT valves)  …  15 liter alu tanks (at extra cost)
scuba gear rental (by advance request)
nitrox
personal locator beacon (provided on every dive)
water temperature: 64 – 81F, 18 – 27C  …  5mm – 8mm wetsuit recommended

 

accommodation & diving
meals, snacks & non-alcoholic beverages
compressed air, tanks, weights & weight belts
nitrox
personal locator beacon & SMB
airport transfers

 

international & domestic airfare
alcoholic beverages
scuba rental gear (by advance request)
15 liter tanks (by advance request)
port fees, local taxes & marine park fees

 

Sturdy & sea-worthy for malpelo

Ferox impresses with her solid steel hull, all new machinery & electronics and extensive list of safety equipment (including three 6-meter, self righting, Fast Rescue Boats that were operated in the rough conditions of the North Sea).  This vessel is built to withstand the challenging seas in the waters around Colombia & Malpelo.

The common areas onboard offer plenty of space for 12 divers. You can dine and lounge on the large shaded deck or catch some rays on the sundeck.  The experienced and fully trained crew are available for your 24 hour service onboard.

Ferox offers easy access to the water, a camera table with a rinse tank, low-pressure air hoses and storage as well as two showers.  Diver safety has not been compromised as Malpelo has strong currents, all divers are equipped with a PLB ‘Personal Locator Beacon and are given instructions in their use.

Reminder:  this is adventure diving, not a luxury liveaboard.  If you’re looking for hot-tubs and champagne, we have other options for you …. but not at Malpelo.

 

Layout & specs

Deck & cabin layout, the yacht specifications, equipment & safety features

Specifications

Gross tonnage: 198 T
Net Tonnage: 60 T
Length: 31,20 meters
Breadth: 7.42 meters
Draft: 3.0 meters
Propulsion: DIESEL
Main engines: 2x SCANIA DS11 57M22U 230 Kw / 308 HP @ 1800 rpm
Bow thruster: 1x 82Kw / 110 HP @ 940 rpm
Steel hull: 11mm
Cranes of 10 T
Rated for ice

 

MACHINERY

2 AVON SR 6 (6m, self righting, twin 60 HP outboards, certified for 15 passengers each)
1 DELTA (6.5M, self righting, twin 60 HP outboards, certified for 15 passengers each)
all equipped with ladders & prop guards
Rolling chocks
Paravane stabilizers

DIVING FACILITIES

1 Air compressor Nuvair 26
1 NITROX generator Nuvair LP420
20 McMurdo Smartfind S10 A.I.S. personal locator beacons
22 Sherwood Aluminium tanks 12 L/80 CU
6 Sherwood Aluminium tanks 15 L/100 CU
3 Sherwood dive computers
5 regulators & BCD in all sizes (SCUBAPRO MK2/R195 & T-One)
Wetsuits (5 mm), masks & fins (open & closed heel) in all sizes

NAVIGATION

1 X-Band Radar
1 Electronic Chart Plotter
1 Depthsounder
1 Autopilot
1 A.I.S. (Automatic Identification System)
1 GPS Compass
1 Windsensor
1 Speed Log
3 GPS
1 Magnetic Compass
1 Pitch/Roll Indicator
1 Rudder Angle Indicator

COMMUNICATIONS

2 Satellite communication systems. Iridium & Inmarsat
4 VHF Marine Radios
1 HF (DSC, HHB)
6 Handheld VHF
5 Man overboard alert system
1 Public Announcement system
16 Internal phones

SAFETY EQUIPMENT

1 EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon)
1 S.A.R.T. (Search and Rescue Transponder)
2 S.C.B.A. (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus)
1 Fixed fire fighting system for Engine Space (Inergen Gas)
3 E.E.B.D.s (Emergency Escape Breathing Device )
42 Personal Flotation Devices
2 Portable oxygen
1 A.E.D. (Automated External Defibrillator)
2 Trauma kits
15 Portable Fire Extinguishers
7 Lifebuoys
3 Fire-fighting suits
2 Line-throwing apparatus
1 Complete set of pyrotechnics (Rocket Flares, Smoke, Handheld Flares)
19 Smoke detectors
1 Fire blanket
14 Alarm bells

 

Itineraries

Malpelo is considered one of the most exciting shark diving destinations on the planet.  Massive schools of hammerhead, and silky sharks are found here along with Galapagos, white tip, whale sharks, manta and eagle rays, free-swimming moray eels, as well as the reclusive small tooth sand tiger.

View the highlights of these trips and an itinerary map.

The final itinerary choices are, of course, always dependent upon weather, sea conditions and where the best animal sightings are at any particular time of year

Diving in Malpelo is for advanced divers. The strong and quickly changing currents demand experience to react to them. In some places like the Gringa and David, located on the south side of the island, you’ll do direct descents to 30 meters and it’s not uncommon that due to strong winds and rough seas only one side can be dived on the island. That having been said, there’s little in the world more exciting and rewarding for a diver than a good trip to Malpelo.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DIVING

3 Musketeers : Three majestic rocks, poking their noses out of a turbulent ocean, provide, perhaps, the most iconic diving in the Malpelo waters. Whale sharks love to gather here and when the currents are right (not too strong) you’ll dive with massive schools of jacks, batfish, goatfish, grunts & groupers … plus Galapagos sharks, plenty of lovely silkies & eagle rays. The Cathedral, a coral & sponge-covered swim-through in the center rock, with its undulating sweepers and endemic fish, is a real beauty.

Acuario : South of 3 Muskateers is a site well-known, first, for its amazing white anemones but also its schools of silky sharks, large schools of snappers and …. from May to September, visiting whale sharks.

Arrecifes (Virginia’s Alter): A wall with Malpelo’s best corals starts this off as a unique diving site. The smaller versions of Malpelo marine life in the reef (angelfish, surgeonfish, Moorish idols, damselfish, snappers, trumpetfish) attract swarms of bluefin tuna, barracudas and groupers, which attract hammerheads and Galapagos sharks. Then, there’s the cleaning station for hammerheads for added interest. (Currents can be extreme here and the conditions don’t always allow for diving at Arrecifes).  Nearby is Fantasma, where you’re likely to see the largest school of barracuda imaginable … plus snapper shoals, whitetip reef sharks and some hammerheads … and at Bajo del Monstruo you have perhaps the best opportunity of spotting sand-tiger sharks

Ferreteria: If you love moray eels, you’ll love Ferreteria. There’s a great population of them here inhabiting virtually every crevice, but also big schools of lumberjacks, leatherbass, yellowfin tuna, Pacific dog snappers plus scorpionfish and Creolefish. You’re also likely to encounter silkies and there’s an excellent good chance of running into whale sharks in season.

La Gringa: The strong currents at this site tend to attract big animals …. silky sharks & hammerheads … as well as mantas, large wrasses and jacks amongst others. The swim-through adds to the excitement of diving with this crew.

Nevera (The Fridge): Perhaps best-known for its cleaning station, La Nevera is almost guaranteed to offer up super shark action due to the number of animals which come to be cleaned. The ever-present silky sharks & scalloped hammerheads should be here, with black-tipped reef sharks & Galapagos sharks being strong possibilities. Add in eagle rays darting around and even dolphins … then throw in a whale shark or two in season. Brightly colored Creole fish add their startling color to the mix

Scuba: The very best opportunity for spotting (and ideally photographing) the red-lipped batfish.

 

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