Colombia´s pacific coast is a secret untouched diving paradise. The world forgot about Colombia as a common tourist destination for the last 50 years due to the internal conflict. Many natural regions benefited from this, as there are now days untouched places making nature look exactly as some hundred years ago. Today, Colombia is becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations due to the smiles and kindness of the people, awesome food, great night life, the various types of landscapes in a great range of diverse ecosystems of different altitudes, and furthermore because is the only country in South America that has two oceans.

Because the Caribbean is so warm, popular, beautiful and easy to get to, the Pacific Coast, specially the Chocó department, stayed a secret place, therefore when you go diving there different marine species will make you feel that you are the first diver they have seen, by coming close and swimming around you closer than you are used to. It´s just surprising how the seasons vary uniquely around the year, how the big schools of fish intimidatingly swim everywhere, and how the dive sites topography differ as they were affected distinctly by the pacific tectonic movement.

The Chocó department, in the western side of Colombia, is a wild mysterious place. One could say that is not even popular around Colombians. Only few handful of persons have stepped in those corners of the earth, and only a countless amount has submerged in the unexplored underwater world. One of the most attractive features of this place is the various magical seasons, depending on the time of year, different species swim these waters. During the months of April and May the sardines swim in massive schools, creating one of the biggest natural events, as many predators join the party. Yellow fin tuna, blue fin tuna, dolphin fish (dorado), tiger sharks, black tips, dolphins and birds, are some of the most common species that participate in these magnificent event. For the divers is a week of pure adrenaline. You can go diving in a nice colorful place, full of coral reefs and small fishes, or you can follow nature, the movement and chase big animals in their natural habitat. The feeling is uncomparable. Over the water you can see birds penetrating the surface while underwater different species try to eat as much as they can from the sardine bait ball, and you are just a spectator watching this fascinating animal rush. In the following months there are not particular seasons or migrations, until August, with the arrival of big and wonderful mammals that come to give birth to their young in these warm tropical waters. Humpback whales travel all the way from the Antartica up to Colombia, specifically the Chocó department, where they will stay until late October. During these season diving has an extra component, background classical humpback music. It’s surreal to think how wonderful it is to be diving while listening to the whales communicate, and when you are not diving, watching them jump, for minutes on, you just don't get tired of this. The landscape is a non-stop parade and artistic breaching lessons of these enormous beautiful animals. Even though there is the possibility of seeing Humpback´s while scuba diving, you have to be real lucky, as they are really timid animals. On the other hand, free diving with them is quite interesting, as you silently intersect the whale´s path getting a complete view and an eye contact that will make you shiver every time you think of that moment. Even though they are not aggressive, they are big and intimidating, so when you see it you'll understand how small and insignificant we humans can be compared to these wonderful and powerful animals.

Throughout the year, there is wonderful natural diving. The magnificent thing about diving here are the distinct features and topographic variety each dive site has to offer. As some of you know, the Andes mountain chain comes bordering the Pacific coast all the way up until Colombia where it breaks in three chains, which causes the pacific ocean to have a steep drop unlike the Caribbean sea on the other coast. Around the Punta Brava hotel, where this magnificent expedition takes place, there are at least 15 different dive sites, each with a distinct interesting feature. The most exquisite dive site for deep and Tec divers is the continental drop. The drop exists from 40 meters down to a depth difficult to calculate, going for kilometers, with occasional hammerheads sightings. There are other types of dive sites that are clearly influenced by tectonic movement, as you dive trying to decipher the marks on the seafloor and finding small octopus eyes staring in the darkness. Following other interesting dive sites based in underwater pinnacles covered in Schools of jacks, snappers and 400 pound groupers swimming curiously towards the divers. Many nurse sharks can be seen, as well as moray eels, and to add to the migrating species that navigate Chocó’s waters are the Whale Sharks, Mantas, turtles, and sometimes different species of whales. It’s a special feeling knowing there are still places that you can go and really be part of the marine environment; to feel it running, to feel is still alive.

In order to enjoy the dive experience in Chocó, Colombia Underwater Expeditions (CUE) will carefully plan and passionately give you a full exquisite dive experience. The expedition starts in Medellin where you sleep and prepare for the next day flight in the morning to Nuquí. During that night all the divers of the expedition come together and meet each other, to fulfill the journey as one group. The next day the flight leaves in the morning, landing around 10:00 am in Nuquí, where the great Chucho, a native local captain, will pick us up in the “Albacora”, which stands for yellow fin tuna, and it will be our boat throughout the trip. He will drive us one hour to Punta Brava, the jungle eco hotel for the next days. To describe the hotel in a few words you could say, hidden, mythical, beautiful, natural, comfortable, unimaginable, fresh and cozy. It´s strange not to be able to describe clearly this place, as it can fill you up with great emotions, with nature and with wildlife. You are standing in a place looking at the blue savage ocean knowing that the jungle is singing loud in your back. The day of arrival the group of divers gets comfortable and take the day to digest the emotions of the journey.

During the week you'll have the opportunity to get to know both the jungle and the ocean. Depending on how many dives you´d like to do (either 2 or 3 dives per day) you'll have spare time in the afternoon to go hiking inside the jungle searching for hidden waterfalls, secrete places and native tracks, or stay reading a good book while staring at the beautiful view.

Theres is different types of hikes for the experienced and the amateurs, both beautiful and magical, and theres also great surfing spots two minutes away from the hotel or if you are after something more adventurous there is the best left break in Colombia, just 15 minutes away from us, by boat.

The main purpose of this week is that you enjoy the most and that you have the opportunity to do some great activities, besides amazing dives, that you wouldn't find anywhere else in the world, and to have the chance to relax in a place that looks like it was designed just for that. After this week you will feel different, not only because you did one of the activities that brings more peace to our body and mind, diving, but because you will have a different bond with nature, after being completely surrounded by its wise trees and never resting ocean, being surprised of how many different noises and birds you can hear, finding enormous waterfalls in the middle of the jungle and looking at how the oceans should be everywhere else in the world, you will, for sure, feel different. Once you go back home wishing that you never left, you will understand why those memories will stay in your mind forever.