Cuba

In the aftermath of the Cuban missile crisis, the CIA planned to assassinate Fidel Castro by leaving an exploding conch shell at one of his favourite dive spots...

In the aftermath of the Cuban missile crisis, the CIA planned to assassinate Fidel Castro by leaving an exploding conch shell at one of his favourite dive spots. Fortunately for international relations, the plan was never carried out, leaving the reefs free of damage and Castro free to enjoy some of the best diving in the Caribbean. And good diving it is too – Cuba has emerged from its Cold-War isolation to become a popular destination for European divers, and the lack of tourists from the US (trade and travel embargoes still exist between the US and Cuba) means that visiting divers are less numerous than at other islands in the area and the reefs are among the healthiest in the Caribbean.

Cuba lies only 90 miles south of Florida in the US and is the largest island in the Caribbean. The environmental conditions are perfect for holiday diving – warm, calm and clear waters with visibility in excess of 30m. The island’s strategic location has meant that thousands of ships have sailed through these waters for hundreds of years and there are a number of shipwrecks for divers to enjoy.
A holiday in Cuba can never be just about the diving – the social, political and economic upheavals of the 20th century have made Cuba, and particularly its capital Havana, a fascinating place to visit. Stunning architecture, classic cars, fine cigars and salsa dancing make this a true party island in spite of (and, perhaps, because of) the economic and political situation. Our advice is to visit the island as soon as you can before Castro dies, because when he does this fascinating country is sure to change dramatically.

Action offshore
While Cuba offers diving all around the island, the best underwater action is to be found in the small islands and islets to the south. The archipelago of Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) offers numerous dive sites in good condition, partially a result of its marine park status. The archipelago is a five-hour boat ride from Cuba itself, so the most practical way to dive the islets is by liveaboard, such as the Halcon or Explorador. Alternatively you could stay at La Tortuga (The Turtle), a floating hotel with good-quality dives sites only a few minutes away by boat.

The archipelago is ripe for exploration – more and more dive sites are being discovered every year. The deeper waters found around the islets bring in Cuba’s largest visitors, including Caribbean reef, black-tip and silky sharks and the biggest of them all – the whale shark. The islands are well-known for the many turtles that are found in their waters, and this is one of the few places in the Caribbean where turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. The coral reefs around the islets are home to tarpon, bonefish, batfish and snapper and, perhaps the signature fish of these waters, the jewfish.
Some of the best dives in the area include Cueva del Turpin where you can expect to see green moray eels, parrotfish, barracuda and stingrays and Cueva del Pulpo (Octopus Cave) – a great night dive where you are likely to see octopus, rays and porcupinefish. Pipin and Cabeza de Coral Negro are also excellent dives (see Top Dives). Such is the quality of the diving both here and at Cayo Largo that such luminaries as National Geographic photographer David Doubilet are among their fans.

That neatly brings us to another of the offshore sites – Cayo Largo. Heading northwest from the Jardines, passing a place called the Bay of Pigs (where there was a spot of bother 40 odd years ago), eventually you come to Cayo Largo. Here there are exquisite beaches which underwater are surrounded by steep walls and a number of good dive sites. These include Cuevas del Negro (Black Caves) where there are large numbers of tarpon and a substantial amount of black coral. This is also the site of Acuario (Aquarium) – one of the best dives in Cuba, (see Top Dives). There are a number of hotels on the cay and two dive centres to choose from.

Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth) lies west of Cayo Largo and is one of the most well-established diving areas in Cuba. Like Cayo Largo, it is part of the Los Canarreos archipelago and is the largest island in the chain. Transfers from Havana to both Cayo Largo and Isla de la Juventud are by plane and take less than 40 minutes. The diving around Isla de la Juventud offers a variety of corals and interesting topography, with underwater caves and swim-throughs a particular feature.

Coast to coast
There are also plenty of dive sites that can be reached from dive centres on mainland Cuba. These range from María la Gorda (Fat Mary) in the west to Trinidad in the south, and even the beaches at the capital Havana provide access to a number of dives.

On the south side of the island lies the city of Trinidad, an important cultural centre which has been given World Heritage status by UNESCO. Diving takes place at the nearby Ancón Peninsula, which is renowned for its beautiful beaches. Underwater, the area is known for its black coral, gorgonian fans and fish (although DIVE Reader’s verdict from Sue Miller paints quite a different picture).

On Cuba’s west coast lies María la Gorda. This isolated resort consists of a dive centre and accommodation made up of holiday bungalows. This is probably the best diving area easily accessible from mainland Cuba and is considered to have the richest mix of marine life from a biological point of view. You can expect to see large colonies of black coral, sponges, and fan corals – one site called Garden of Gorgonians is unsurprisingly covered with gorgonian fans.Topographically, María la Gorda is very interesting, with lots of fissures and coral chimneys through which divers can swim, and the walls of coral makes for good-quality diving. The remains of Spanish galleons also lie in these waters. In terms of marine life, fish life is good, including barracuda, snapper and tarpon, as well as morays, rays, turtles and best of all if you’re lucky – whale sharks.

If it’s topside attractions you are after, then Cuba’s capital, Havana, has it all. Like Trinidad in the south of the island, Havana is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is the country’s cultural centre. There are four diving centres located in Havana and you can expect to dive a number of interesting wrecks as well as seeing a varied amount of fish life including tarpon, squirrelfish, soldierfish, tuna, tangs, grunts and swordfish. There are lots of hotels in the capital which vary in quality and, for the independent traveller, many Cubans unofficially let out rooms – while these can be excellent they are unregulated, so travellers should exercise caution.

When to go
Diving conditions remain fairly constant throughout the year. Air temperatures average between 28 and 32ºC and water temperatures between 25ºC and 29ºC. The best visibility is from the end of December until May, when the weather is slightly cooler. Diving is not recommended in October, when hurricanes have been known to occur. August, September and November are the months when you are most likely to see whale sharks.

Marine life
Big stuff: nurse, Caribbean reef, black-tip, silky and, if you’re lucky, whale sharks. Turtles, rays and swordfish.
Little stuff: tarpon, bonefish, snapper, jewfish, squirrelfish, soldierfish, tuna, tangs, grunts.

Equipment
Suit: a 3mm or 5mm shortie will be adequate for most divers.

Top dives...
PipÍn, Jardines de la Reina
Named after the freediver Pipín Ferreras, this site consists of a reef with a large swim-through at 40m, which you can go through before making your way slowly upwards. Expect to see large, metre-long jewfish, tarpon, yellowtail snapper and horse-eye jacks. Silky sharks are often seen in the area and if the waters have been chummed, they appear in numbers.

Acuario, Cayo largo
An absolute must for fish lovers, Acuario (Aquarium) simply teems with them. Small caves and holes in the reef provide shelter for moray eels and various crustaceans, while schooling fish such as snapper, jacks and grouper parade around you.

CabezA de Coral Negro, Jardines de la Reina
The huge mounds of reef and sand that make up this dive are reminiscent of a glaciated landscape according to DIVE reader Stuart Moffatt. There is a fair amount of black coral, but it is the abundance of Caribbean reef sharks that really make this a top dive. Large hawksbill turtles are also often seen.



Maria La Gorda - Richard Cheney

‘I did one dive in the morning and one in the afternoon,’ says dive instructor Richard Cheney who went to María la Gorda in 2003 on a trip booked through Regaldive. ‘The diving took place from hardboats, all of which were in excellent condition. All of the sites were 40 minutes or less away and we saw all sorts of marine life. I’d say it was as good as the Red Sea: we saw rays, eels, lots of pretty, colourful fish and 3ft tube sponges. There wasn’t much big stuff, but there was plenty of other life to occupy us, and some of the underwater topography was amazing. I also did a couple of night dives, where I saw free-swimming morays, octopus, turtles, couple of rays. All in all it was a great trip.’


Havana - Sue Miller

‘I went to Trinidad and the Isle of Youth,’ on a trip organized by the Urban Fish dive club, says Sue Miller. ‘We stayed a couple of nights in Havana, which was fantastic but not nearly long enough to enjoy the city, and then we spent a week in each resort. On the Isle of Youth we stayed in a 1950s hotel, which was a bit basic and reminded me of a prison, but the food and pool were okay. The dive guide was superb. He’d even dived with Castro in the 50s and he checked everything thoroughly. We saw lots of marine life including tarpon, soft corals, rays and lots of big fish. At Trinidad the hotel was better, but even so it still felt a bit like Butlins. However, the dive operation was terrible – the sites weren’t mapped and the guides only offered 20-minute dives. Underwater there was nothing there – it was brown and all fished out.


Halcon Liveaboard - Stuart Moffatt

Reader’s verdict ‘We spent our honeymoon on board the Halcon liveaboard,’ says Stuart Moffatt who travelled to Cuba with his wife Victoria in November 2003 on a trip booked with Scuba en Cuba. ‘The diving was excellent, with lots of sponges, soft corals and fans. The coral wasn’t quite as good as at the Great Barrier Reef, where I’ve been before, but the size of the fish was very impressive. We also saw Caribbean reef and silky sharks and a huge jewfish. We were told that on the previous week’s trip a jewfish had swallowed a diver’s video camera whole! My only criticism is that not one diving operation in Cuba supplied us with a depth gauge – I’d recommend you bring your own. But overall it was fantastic, we even saw a whale shark from the boat’.