Leon Dormido is a large rock formation located a couple of miles off the south coast of Isla San Cristobal. Rising almost 500 feet into the air, the formation is a lava chimney that is left over from the volcanic activity that formed (and continues to form) the archipelago.
In profile, the rock looks somewhat like a reclining lion, so the early Spanish explorers bestowed the name of Leon Dormido, which translates to “Sleeping Lion”. When English-speaking explorers encountered the rock, they saw a much more prosaic outline of a boot – hence the English translation of Kicker Rock.
In any language, the attraction of the rock is the same – a high concentration of marine life feeding in the swirling currents around the rock. We joined a small tour with five other folks for a snorkeling trip out to the formation, and what a trip it was. The boat dropped us in 60′ of water, and the bottom was clearly visible.
We snorkeled almost all the way around the island, exploring the channels between different parts of the rock. We were joined by sea lions, rays, Galapagos sharks, a hammerhead shark, and more sea turtles than we’ve ever seen in one place.
Fantastic! After this trip, we’d call it a tie for best snorkeling ever with Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island in Hawaii.
