Kicker Rock

Leon Dormido, known in English as Kicker Rock, is the remnant of a tuff cone standing about 150 metres out of the sea off San Cristobal, split by erosion into two sheer blades with a narrow channel between them, and it is one of the most recognisable shapes in the archipelago. Boats do not land; the visit is snorkelling or diving the channel, where the walls drop away and the current runs through, bringing Galapagos sharks, hammerheads, spotted eagle rays, turtles and large schools of fish past in open blue water. Blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds and Nazca boobies nest on the ledges above. Conditions vary sharply and the water is cold.

Highlights

• Two blades split by a channel - the eroded remnant of a tuff cone.
• Hammerheads and Galapagos sharks - the reason divers come.
• Seabird ledges above the water - boobies and frigatebirds on the walls.
• Open blue-water snorkelling - drifting the channel with the current.

When to go

June to November brings colder, nutrient-rich water and the best chance of hammerheads; December to May is warmer and calmer with less life. A day trip. Wetsuits are needed year round.

What to expect

Currents in the channel are strong and this is not a beginner snorkel; people get uncomfortable quickly. The water is cold even in the warm season. Shark sightings are never guaranteed. There is no landing, so it is boat time and water time only.

Nearby

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is south-west; Espanola lies south.

Key facts