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Guide · Colombia

Spearfishing in Colombia

Colombia is a special case, and you should grasp it before your first dive. The national regulation (Resolución AUNAP 0549/2022) authorises the speargun as a method aimed at removing EXOTIC/invasive species — that is, lionfish (pez león). Hunting lionfish in Colombia isn't just legal, it's encouraged by the navy and CORALINA. The legality of spearing native reef species isn't confirmed in express text — it's a grey zone, and a large share of the best reefs is closed inside marine parks. So our honest framing: lionfish first and explicit, natives check with AUNAP.

Spear hunting is breath-hold only, one speargun per person, banned at night, and needs a permiso de pesca deportiva from AUNAP. The hub of real activity is Taganga near Santa Marta. This guide explains the law, shows the lionfish niche, the can/can't map, and links to a daily sea forecast for every city — mindful of the brisa loca, the Caribbean's dry-season wind.

Apri il punto di forza — Santa Marta →

Lionfish — first and legal

Lionfish (Pterois volitans) is an invasive Caribbean predator that ravages reefs. It is precisely lionfish that Art. 5 of Res 0549/2022 expressly authorises the speargun for — as a tool to remove exotic/transplanted species outside their natural range. The navy (Armada Nacional) and CORALINA train divers and run culling expeditions; lionfish is edible and its spines are made into jewellery. It's the only form of spear hunting promoted openly in Colombia. CAUTION: it has venomous spines — a sting is very painful (first aid: hot water 43–46 °C).

Native species — a grey zone

Spearing native reef species (pargo, sierra, jurel) in Colombia is not permitted in express text: Art. 5 aims the speargun at invasives and is silent on natives. We do NOT present native species as hunting targets until legality is confirmed by the literal text of Res 0549/2022 from the Diario Oficial. If you want to hunt native fish, check with AUNAP first. Many «trophies» are also threatened: mero guasa (Epinephelus itajara) is CR in Colombia's Red Book, nassau (E. striatus) is EN; release them. Sharks and rays — directed take banned (Res AUNAP 0744/2012 and others).

Where — Taganga and the big no-take

The diving and freediving hub is Taganga, a fishing cove near Santa Marta, with cheap courses and outings. But remember how much is closed: PNN Tayrona (a marine strip along ~30 km of coast), PNN Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo, PNN Gorgona, Utría and Uramba (Pacific), SFF Malpelo (4.8 million ha), PNN Old Providence — in ALL national parks and SFF any take is banned by law. In the San Andrés/Providencia archipelago the whole Seaflower biosphere is closed to the speargun for tourists (CORALINA): it's allowed only to traditional artisanal fishers.

Rules and permit

Res AUNAP 0549/2022 in brief:

Safety

Beware ciguatera: large Caribbean predators (especially barracuda) can accumulate ciguatoxin — don't eat big ones. Lionfish has venomous spines — handle carefully even after the shot. In the dry season (December–April) the brisa loca blows — a strong, steady trade wind that builds swell and murk; catch the morning calms. Never dive alone. The per-city forecast helps you pick the day.

Dove immergersi, per regione

Caraibi · Guajira

Colombia's Guajira desert coast (Cabo de la Vela, Riohacha) — warm Caribbean water on one of the windiest coasts around.

  • Cabo de la Vela — Cabo de la Vela è deserto Wayúu e acqua «completamente blu» dell'upwelling di La Guajira (dic–mar): più fredda, più limpida, ma con alisei quasi costanti che alzano chop e onda di superficie — le finestre di apnea sono brevi e funzionano solo le baie riparate dei kite.
  • Riohacha — Riohacha è la capitale di La Guajira: spiaggia lunga, malecón e vento quasi permanente (paradiso del kite per principianti).
  • Palomino — Palomino è un villaggio balneare ai piedi della Sierra Nevada, alla foce dell'omonimo fiume e appena a est del PNN Tayrona.

Caraibi Centrali

Colombia's central Caribbean (Santa Marta, Tayrona, Cartagena) — warm, clear water broken by the Magdalena plume; national-park zones apply.

  • Taganga — Taganga è il centro della pesca subacquea in Colombia: caletta di pescatori a 15 min da Santa Marta, con operatori di apnea e visibilità alta nella baia riparata.
  • Santa Marta — Santa Marta è la grande città-porto della costa: base logistica di Taganga, Tayrona e Rodadero.
  • Puerto Colombia — Puerto Colombia si trova a ovest di Barranquilla e all'ombra del pennacchio del fiume Magdalena, che scarica ~200 milioni di t di sedimento all'anno e trascina una pluma torbida verso ovest — le spiagge del centro sono povere per immergersi.
  • Cartagena — Cartagena è un grande hub con flotta di charter e uscita verso le isole.

Caraibi · Golfo

Colombia's Gulf coast (Tolú, Coveñas, San Bernardo islands) — warm, sheltered water clearest out at the offshore reefs.

  • Santiago de Tolú — Tolú (Santiago de Tolú) è zona turistica del Golfo di Morrosquillo e punto di partenza verso le Isole di San Bernardo.
  • Coveñas — Coveñas è la zona turistica contigua a Tolú nel Golfo di Morrosquillo, con centri di immersione e uscita verso San Bernardo.
  • Capurganá — Capurganá, nel Golfo di Urabá presso Cabo Tiburón, ha uno dei reef meglio conservati della Colombia: visibilità media ~18 m, correnti moderate e circa 20 siti d'immersione (razze, squali nutrice, tartarughe embricate).
  • Sapzurro — Sapzurro è il villaggio più occidentale della Colombia, al confine con Panama e attaccato a Capurganá, con una baia riparata e alcuni dei migliori reef del paese.

Isole (Colombia)

Colombia's islands (San Andrés, Providencia, Rosario) — warm, gin-clear coral water inside strongly protected marine parks.

  • Islas del Rosario — L'arcipelago del Rosario, a 20 km da Cartagena, ha limpidezza e reef eccellenti, ma è interamente dentro il PNN Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo, con Zone Intangibili dove l'estrazione è vietata.
  • Islas de San Bernardo — Le Isole di San Bernardo (Múcura, Tintipán) sono un gruppo di dieci isole nel Golfo di Morrosquillo con reef a chiazze (corallo corno di cervo, corno di alce) e pesce di barriera.
  • San Andrés — San Andrés è un'isola-reef di calcare con «limpidezza ottima» — la miglior trasparenza caraibica del paese — e operatori locali di pesca subacquea.
  • Providencia — Providencia e Santa Catalina è un'isola vulcanica con la terza barriera corallina più grande del mondo e trasparenza altissima, ma gran parte ricade nel PNN Old Providence McBean Lagoon, gestito dalla comunità Raizal contro la pesca eccessiva.

Pacifico (Colombia)

Colombia's Pacific Chocó (Bahía Solano, Nuquí) — warm, murky, remote water with big pelagics and humpback whales in season.

  • Bahía Solano — Bahía Solano (Ciudad Mutis) è la destinazione turistica di riferimento del Pacifico chocoano, con canyon profondi vicino alla costa e pesca enorme (cubera, roosterfish, tonno, cernie).
  • El Valle — El Valle è accanto a Bahía Solano (raggiungibile in jeep) ed è la porta terrestre del PNN Utría, con snorkel a Punta Diego e immersione a Punta Esperanza (solo nei punti autorizzati).
  • Nuquí — Nuquí è il centro del Golfo di Tribugá, con riscales del Baudó, coralli molli, gorgonie e corallo nero, e cernie/carangidi/pargos molto grandi nella stagione della sardina (apr–mag); mante da gen a mar e acqua fredda ~20 °C da dic a gen.
  • Juanchaco — Juanchaco e Ladrilleros sono in Bahía Málaga, a 30 min in barca da Buenaventura, con il reef «Los Negritos» di fronte a Juanchaco come punto d'immersione e di pesca sportiva.
Vedi tutte le città →

Domande frequenti

Rules current as of 2026 — always confirm with AUNAP and the park authority before you go. Extraction is banned inside the national natural parks (Tayrona, Corales del Rosario, Seaflower) and protected species may not be taken; spearfishing is breath-hold only.

Is spearfishing legal in Colombia?

Partly. The AUNAP 0549/2022 regulation expressly authorises the speargun to remove the invasive lionfish (pez león) — that's legal and encouraged. Hunting native species isn't permitted in express text (a grey zone), and in all national parks and the Seaflower biosphere the speargun is banned for tourists. To hunt natives, check with AUNAP first.

Can I shoot lionfish, and how?

Yes — it's encouraged. Lionfish is invasive, and Art. 5 of Res 0549/2022 expressly authorises the speargun against exotic species. The navy and CORALINA even run training expeditions. Apnea only, one speargun, by day, with a permiso. Mind the venomous spines: hold the lionfish by safe parts, and if stung, hot water 43–46 °C.

Can I hunt in San Andrés / Seaflower?

No — the speargun is banned for tourists in the Seaflower biosphere (CORALINA); it's allowed only to authorised traditional artisanal fishers. Also banned there are parrotfish (pez loro) and other herbivores (Res 369/2019), with closed seasons on queen conch and lobster. Lionfish is culled in San Andrés, but through organised CORALINA/navy programmes, not freely.

Are there minimum sizes?

There are no national minimum sizes for reef species (pargo, mero, sierra) in Colombia — AUNAP's official list covers freshwater + lobster + conch. There are local ones: snook 35 cm; lobster 14 cm tail (San Andrés) / 21 cm (Guajira) + closed 1 Mar–30 Jun; queen conch closed 1 Jun–31 Oct. The self-consumption and common-sense principle applies.

What about ciguatera?

A real risk in the Caribbean. Large predators — above all big barracuda, and also large snapper/grouper from certain reefs — can accumulate ciguatoxin, which cooking doesn't destroy. Don't eat big barracuda or very large reef predators; ask locals which spots are «ciguatera» spots.