Santa Marta spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility & live cameras

spearo.app / Colombia / Santa Marta
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◈Santa Marta · Colombia
5.3
visibility: 3 m
visibility~3m

Dayisover

Today — right on the edge.

Sources: Open-Meteo · Copernicus — high confidence · data 21:33

Sources & confidence

Sources
Open-Meteo · Copernicus
Method
spearo sea-state engine: consensus of up to 6 models + satellite clarity (ZSD) + buoy-bias checks
Freshness
Re-read every hour, per coast

Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine · How it works →

The verdict comes from seven water factors and hard safety gates — not ten tabs. Go or stay.

How we score the water

Our own model

Our own forecast engine — not a third-party widget. It weighs these water factors into one go-or-stay verdict for this coast; the 0–10 dial is that verdict, read out as a number.

01
Swell & wave memory
Height, period and direction of the swell, plus the wake of recent storms — an old storm still stirs the water, and the engine remembers.
02
Wind & gusts
Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
03
Tide phase
Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
04
Water temperature
Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
05
Currents & outflow
Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
06
Rain runoff & air clarity
Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
07
Coast shape & exposure
How the coast faces the swell — a sheltered cove keeps the water clean; an exposed, head-on point takes a penalty.

Safety gates

  • Thunderstorm forecast — an instant red, no exceptions.
  • An official warning (MeteoAlarm / IPMA) — yellow, or red for the higher ranks.
  • Missing input data — a would-be green is capped to yellow rather than overstated.
  • Strong disagreement between forecast models — a green day is pulled back to yellow.
  • Night hours — where night spearfishing is banned by law the window is forced red; where it is legal (Australia outside NSW, New Zealand, South Africa) it is capped at yellow, never green.

It all folds into a single 0–10 score and one verdict: go or stay.

A forecast, not a guarantee — the sea has the last word.

Entry pointsNo-take zones

Where to get in, where to hunt

Entry points with coordinates
Seabed relief — promising ground

This verdict — in your pocket. Open the app for the week's window.

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0 m

Surface

Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.

spearo.app
updated 21:33
Santa Marta — solo, off the rocks
Day is over
That is it for today — the day's windows have closed.
Tomorrow, best window 06:00–09:00
Whole week — tap a day. is driving swell right now.
›
Solo risk: carry a float · tell someone your plan and exit time · doubt = don't go. A model-based planner; the call is made on site.
Selected day

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

The day is picked above, in the hero. Here are that day's windows, the hour-by-hour map and the trends. Tap a window to break down the conditions.

Saturday · today2026-10-24
05:46–17:34 · full moon
▼ 02:00▲ 09:00▼ 17:00▲ 19:00 · 0.2 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide0.24 m
Wave0.60 m
Wind5 km/h
Water30 °C
fish activity: moonset 04:12 · moderate · moon underfoot 10:20 · high · moonrise 16:25 · moderate · moon overhead 22:40 · high
Open the seafloor map with entry points →
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spearo.app · a private marine instrument · Santa Marta · a planner, not a safety guaranteePrivacy
Today
Notify me
Map
Best window · next 3 days
gotomorrow · 06:00–09:00
you can see ~3 m ahead fish

transparency ~11 m · satellite, 2 days agosatellite estimate · may differ right at the shore

〜 tide is minor here bite times: 09:20–11:20 · 15:55–16:55

Tell me when it's on

Just your email — nothing else needed.

Your best window — with you. Forecast in your pocket.

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−10 m

The water column

Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.

What it is

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

spearo.app folds wind, wave, swell period, visibility, tides, water temperature and risk into a single verdict — go to the spot or not. It computes 7 days ahead from open marine models (Open-Meteo, IPMA), with no sign-up and no accounts. Built for solo spearfishing off the rocks, where any mistake costs dearly.

Now live: 3016 spots across 406 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.

See all spots →
−20 m

The seabed

Relief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.

On the rock

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

The models set the window. Whether you go in is read only at the water: count the sets, watch the surge on the entry. If in doubt, you don't get in.

Entry points

Where to get in
off the rocks.

Scouted entries, coloured by today. The colour is the sea state at the spot, not a guarantee: the wash and a slippery entry you judge on site.

Open the seafloor map →
RodaderoSanta Marta
borderline
swell on the quarter today
window
—

Tourist bay to the south, rock and sand 0–10 m; urban entry, variable viz. Coords approx.

Google Maps

SOLO is the biggest risk: underwater you can black out from lack of oxygen silently and fatally, with no one around. Solo is never truly «safe». Below are the best weather windows; carry a buoy, tell someone your plan and exit time, and any doubt — don't go.

One morning glance — and you know.

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point your camera
≈

Surfacing

Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.

Live cameras, map & reference
Open the seafloor map →
Reference

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now
  • lionfish
    Pterois volitans · 3–40 m · invasive — target
    ✅ The only clearly-legal speargun target (Res 0549/2022 Art.5 — invasive/exotic). Culling encouraged (Armada + CORALINA). Edible; venomous spines — careful.
  • snapper
    Lutjanus spp. · 3–30 m · ❓ consulta AUNAP
    ❓ The legality of spearing native species in Colombia is not confirmed in text (grey zone). Res 0549/2022 only authorises the speargun for invasives. Check AUNAP rules; in MPAs/Seaflower — banned.
  • king/Spanish mackerel
    Scomberomorus spp. · 1–25 m · ❓ consulta AUNAP
    ❓ The legality of spearing native species in Colombia is not confirmed in text (grey zone). Res 0549/2022 only authorises the speargun for invasives. Check AUNAP rules; in MPAs/Seaflower — banned.
  • jack / trevally
    Caranx spp. · 0–25 m · ❓ consulta AUNAP
    ❓ The legality of spearing native species in Colombia is not confirmed in text (grey zone). Res 0549/2022 only authorises the speargun for invasives. Check AUNAP rules; in MPAs/Seaflower — banned.
  • snook
    Centropomus undecimalis · 0–15 m · ❓ consulta AUNAP
    ❓ The legality of spearing native species in Colombia is not confirmed in text (grey zone). Res 0549/2022 only authorises the speargun for invasives. Check AUNAP rules; in MPAs/Seaflower — banned.
  • great barracuda
    Sphyraena barracuda · 0–25 m · ❓ consulta AUNAP
    ❓ Native species — grey zone (see AUNAP). Large individuals — ciguatera risk.
  • mahi-mahi
    Coryphaena hippurus · 0–30 m · ❓ consulta AUNAP
    ❓ The legality of spearing native species in Colombia is not confirmed in text (grey zone). Res 0549/2022 only authorises the speargun for invasives. Check AUNAP rules; in MPAs/Seaflower — banned.
  • Nassau grouper
    Epinephelus striatus · 3–35 m · ⚠️ release
    ⚠️ On Colombia's Red List (EN/CR). No formal ban, but please release it.
  • goliath grouper
    Epinephelus itajara · 1–30 m · ⚠️ release
    ⚠️ On Colombia's Red List (EN/CR). No formal ban, but please release it.
Law
  • ✓AUNAP sport-fishing permit (personal, non-commercial). KEY: the speargun is legal ONLY for exotic/introduced species → lionfish is the clearly legal target; for native species legality is a grey zone (consult AUNAP). Apnea, one band speargun, no night, no scuba.
  • ✓PNN Tayrona (next to Santa Marta) = no-take: fishing banned since 1959, and additionally closed in Feb 2026. Spearing there is prohibited.
  • ⛔ 🚫 Parrotfish (Scaridae) and surgeonfish — banned in San Andrés/Seaflower (CORALINA Res 369/2019). Don't shoot.
  • ⛔ 🚫 Sharks and rays — directed take banned (Res AUNAP 0744/2012, 190/2013, 01743/2017). Release.
  • ⛔ ⚠️ Goliath (E. itajara, CR) and Nassau grouper (E. striatus, EN) — Red List; release.
  • ⛔ Queen conch (Lobatus gigas) and spiny lobster (Panulirus) — closed season + size, by hand only, no speargun; conch export banned.
  • ⛔ 🚫 In (PNN Tayrona, Corales del Rosario, Malpelo, Gorgona, Utría, Old Providence) and across Seaflower, spearguns are BANNED for tourists.

Rules change. Before heading out, get the AUNAP sport-fishing permit; with a speargun the lionfish is the only clearly legal target — for natives consult AUNAP. PNN Tayrona is no-take.

Safety protocol
  • Sets: watch the wave trains ≥15 min before entering; Hmax ≈ 2×Hs, the wash can run 50 m past the foam line. A lull >10 min with period >12 s = a big set «overdue», do NOT enter; enter right after a full set passes and re-check at minute 30.
  • Exit FIRST: find your exit AND a backup before entering. On a rocky/boulder shore a 0.5 m rise in swell can make the exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer.
  • Headland rip: prominent points often have a permanent topographic rip regardless of the model — locate it, enter/exit on the windward side, never swim against it.
  • Cold: wetsuit per the SST chip; the first shiver = a metabolic surge and a drop in breath-hold → get out at the first steady shiver. Cap the session at 45–60 min below 15 °C.
  • Solo discipline: buoy up; tell someone the spot and exit time; conservative breath-hold (never push it in cold/murky/surfy water); visibility <3 m — don't enter.
  • Afternoon wind: on many coasts the wind builds from midday — plan to be out of the water by midday; the chop builds — get out.
  • UV 11:00–15:00 (UVI ≥6): sunscreen and cover up on the surface interval.
  • Solo is a fundamental risk (hypoxic blackout with no buddy). Any doubt = No-go.
Local guide · Santa Marta

Spearfishing in Santa Marta: spots, seasons and rules

Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher

Santa Marta is not a place to treat spearfishing as an open reef hunt. The legal line is narrow: with an AUNAP sport-fishing permit, the speargun is clearly authorised for exotic or introduced species, which makes lionfish the clean target. For native snapper, mackerel, jacks, snook, barracuda and mahi-mahi, the available wording does not confirm a general speargun right, so treat them as a grey zone and ask AUNAP before shooting. Locally, Rodadero is the named urban sector: a tourist bay south of town with rock and sand in 0 to 10 m and variable visibility. PNN Tayrona, next to the city, is out of bounds for spearing.

TL;DR

  • Santa Marta is a logistics base for the coast, but the only named urban spearfishing sector here is Rodadero.
  • The Santa Marta-Tayrona upwelling from December to March can bring clearer, colder water; the port and river mouths can add local turbidity.
  • Colombia's clean speargun target is lionfish. Native fish remain a legal grey zone unless AUNAP confirms otherwise.
  • Do not spear inside PNN Tayrona. It is no-take, with fishing banned since 1959 and an additional closure recorded in February 2026.

Best spearfishing spots in Santa Marta

The honest list is short. Santa Marta anchors Taganga, Tayrona and Rodadero logistically, but this article only has one concrete named sector: Rodadero. Any boat or shore plan farther north has to stay outside the marine polygons of PNN Tayrona and needs a clear legal answer on target species before the gun is loaded.

SpotTypeDepthLevelAccessNotes
RodaderoTourist bay with rock and sand0 to 10 mAccessible, with variable visibilityUrban entry south of Santa MartaA practical short-session option when the water is clean. Beach traffic, local turbidity and the legal lionfish-only clarity all matter. Carry a visible float and do not treat native reef fish as automatically legal targets.

Spearfishing Santa Marta conditions today

Santa Marta's water can change quickly because several forces meet there. The December to March upwelling around Santa Marta-Tayrona can cool and clear the bays. The port, river mouths and local runoff can do the opposite, especially close to town. The coast is relatively sheltered, but north and northwest swell is the direction to respect. If Rodadero is green or loaded with sediment, driving toward the park boundary is not a legal or practical shortcut.

Bahía Solano
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    Underwater visibility in Santa Marta today

    Visibility is a day call. Check swell, wind and recent rain, then ask locally about port and river influence. During upwelling season the water may be clearer but colder, with layers that make the first few metres misleading. For lionfish work, visibility needs to be good enough to identify the fish before the shot. If you cannot confirm the species, you do not have the legal clarity this coastline requires.

    Tayrona national park spearfishing allowed

    No. PNN Tayrona is the central local boundary. Fishing has been banned there since 1959, and an additional closure was recorded in February 2026. The fact that Santa Marta is the access city for Tayrona does not make Tayrona a spearfishing area. Before joining any trip sold as a northern-cove session, ask for the exact location and keep it outside the protected polygons.

    Lionfish Santa Marta season

    Lionfish is present year-round and is the clearest speargun target under the Colombian framing. It is invasive, culling is encouraged, and it is edible, but the venomous spines need careful handling. This is selective diving rather than broad hunting: look on rock, ledges and structure, identify the fish, then take only the shot you meant to take. Native fish are a separate legal question.

    Do you need an AUNAP permit for spearfishing?

    Yes. AUNAP sport-fishing rules is an AUNAP sport-fishing permit, personal and non-commercial. It also frames speargun use as apnea, one band speargun, no night diving and no scuba. The key limit is the species rule: exotic or introduced species are the clear lane, so lionfish is safe to describe as legal. Native fish should not be presented as legal without direct AUNAP confirmation. Sharks and rays are directed-take bans; goliath and Nassau grouper should be released because of their conservation status.

    FAQ

    Where can you spearfish in Santa Marta?

    Rodadero is the named urban sector. Any trip farther north must stay outside PNN Tayrona and should be checked with AUNAP or a local club.

    What is the underwater visibility in Santa Marta today?

    It depends on upwelling, swell, rain, the port and river mouths. December to March can bring clearer, colder water in bays.

    What fish can you spear in Santa Marta?

    Lionfish is the clearly legal speargun target. Native fish such as snapper and jacks remain a grey zone unless AUNAP confirms the case.

    Can you spearfish in Tayrona national park?

    No. PNN Tayrona is no-take for this activity, with fishing banned since 1959 and an additional closure recorded in February 2026.

    Do you need an AUNAP permit for spearfishing?

    Yes. AUNAP sport-fishing rules is a personal, non-commercial AUNAP sport-fishing permit, with apnea and one band speargun.

    Can you spear snapper or only lionfish?

    Lionfish is the clear legal target. Snapper and other native species are not confirmed by the available wording and should be treated as a grey zone.

    Sources

    • AUNAP, sport fishing and fisheries rules
    • Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia, PNN Tayrona

    Nearby towns

    • Spearfishing in Taganga
    • Cartagena spearfishing guide
    • Cabo de la Vela: forecast and spots
    • Capurganá spearfishing guide
    • Dive spots near San Andrés
    Data partners
    dive centres that send us real visibility readings
    Águas VivasMilfontes · Sagres