The Best Kept Shark Diving Secret: Cuba

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Groupers, Crocodiles & Other Marine Life

Besides sharks, at some locations you will encounter giant, goliath and nassau groupers. Many of them grow very large, and several that we encountered were 100 -150 lbs.  They are also curious about the divers and some will even “kiss” your dome port. One of them even tried to chew my friend's compact camera hanging from his wrist.  Eventually you'll start looking for something besides by sharks and groupers, and head to the “classic” carribean reef scenery, which consists of many gorgonian fans, sponges and seagrass.  There we found green morays, tarpoons, lobsters, schools of jacks, some barracudas and few speces of rays.  There are also lionfish who don't belong in this eco-system, but they're still not overly abundant.

One of the most exciting encounters on the trip was the crocodiles.  A few are known to live in the lagoons, so during the break between dives we asked the guides to try to find them. The lagoons are a snorkel tour in water with much lower visibility, but during midday the crocs float on surface and are very calm, so you can approach them if you dare.  I dont really know what to say about the saftey of that encounter besides entering the water at your own risk.  Three photographers in our group entered the water and the guides stayed very close, holding wooden sticks (similar to baseball bats) ready to react.  That said, we stayed with one croc for more than half hour and he didnt even blink, then finally decided to swim away.

Conclusion

Overall, Jardines de la Reina a is really pristine, large and untouched system of coral reefs, and represents Carribean “as it was before.”  If the strict regulations remain in place it is unlikely to become overcrowded, and is with no doubt one of last underwater paradises on Earth.  The only visitors here are a very small number of divers throughout the year, with a government-mandated limit of 500-1000 divers.  But that doesnt mean you will have problems booking your trip, since they haven't reached that number of annual visitors since opening the area to scuba diving.  Cuba is also more open to tourism than before, and these days it is even common for Americans to travel travel there.  The Americans we saw came from Cancun and had gotten their visa hassel-free in Mexico, but rumor has it that American citizens can expect direct flights to Cuba soon.

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About the Author

Goran Butajla is a well-known croatian diver and photographer. He has traveled world-wide for the past 25 years, constantly in search of beautifull diving locations. Goran runs his own diving business in Zagreb, Croatia as the SSI and PSS Instructor Trainer. Also, he is general editor of Scubalife, the most relevant and most luxurious scuba-related printed magazine in the south-east Europe.  You can contact Goran at goran.butajla@scubalife.hr

Further Reading

• Improve Your Wide-Angle Photography

• Tips for Great Shark Photography

• Dive Destination Guide for Underwater Photography

Where to Buy

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