While Cuba is just 90 miles south of Florida, it’s an undiscovered paradise, especially for Americans who, until recently, have been banned from visiting the country. Now that the political relations between the United States and Cuba are on the mend, Cuba is becoming a top destination spot for tourists, especially scuba divers. Because the American market has recently opened, the country isn’t yet catering to too much tourism. This innocence gives way to pristine conditions, unobstructed by commercial fishing, all-inclusive resorts, and has arguably the Caribbean's best-preserved marine area. Aside from that, here are the top 7 reasons you need to go scuba diving in Cuba: Sharks Diving with sharks is one of the top attractions in Cuba, especially in the Gardens of the Queen. At least 6 different shark species – silky, Caribbean reef, whale sharks, and more! – can be seen in this one location. You are guaranteed to see a shark on almost every dive you make. Crocodiles How many times have you been diving with saltwater crocodiles? Yeah, that’s what we thought! Cuba is a great opportunity to see these massive creatures up close. These timid animals loiter in the shallow waters, going between the secret hideouts of the archipelago. Diving next to 2,000 pounds of reptile is an experience that you’ll never forget. It’s like diving with dinosaurs, but don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe! Less than 1,000 divers per year As one of the largest and protected areas in the Caribbean, Cuba restricts the number of divers to less than 1,000. The Cuban government is serious about maintaining their precious marine park, which means they have restricted infrastructure to just a floating hotel and small fleet of liveaboards. Getting to be one of the few that dive in Cuba each year is truly a
While Cuba is just 90 miles south of Florida, it’s an undiscovered paradise, especially for Americans who, until recently, have been banned from visiting the country. Now that the political relations between the United States and Cuba are on the mend, Cuba is becoming a top destination spot for tourists, especially scuba divers. Because the
I have always found culture fascinating. Two people living on two sides of a border, only an hour’s drive apart, might be so different that they won’t even speak the same language. Despite the cultural difference, both communities acquire their culture in the same way- social learning. They identify and empathize with their group and imitate others around them. What astonishes me the most, is how human beings believe they are the most special on earth, while we aren’t even the first animals to develop cultures on this planet. Many other species, above and under the water, have developed their own cultures long before mankind existed. Whales are a great example of an animal which managed to develop intricate social lives underwater. If you are lucky enough, you will have the opportunity to swim or dive with whales and experience, even for a brief moment, the incredible social lives of whales. Whales love and get angry, have friends and acquaintances and teach each other how to hunt, both for survival and for fun. They communicate in a way similar to ours, but in a language which we cannot speak. A recently published article reveals how a group of Humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine have learned a new feeding method from each other; a method that is called ‘lob-tail feeding’ and was first seen in the area in 1980. Humpback Whales: Behavior and Communication Humpback whales used to have only one feeding method called the ‘bubble-net’ method, in which the whales dive under a pack of fish that are close to sea level, makes noises and bubbles. This causes the fish to get closer to each other. The whales then pounce out of the water with their mouths open to catch as many fish as they can. In the new
I have always found culture fascinating. Two people living on two sides of a border, only an hour’s drive apart, might be so different that they won’t even speak the same language. Despite the cultural difference, both communities acquire their culture in the same way- social learning. They identify and empathize with their group and imitate
Do you want to travel back in time and witness the Caribbean Sea as it was hundreds of years ago? Dive Cuba’s sprawling national park in the Gulf of Ana Maria; it’s called Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) for good reason. This archipelago of 250 coral and mangrove islands is probably the best-preserved tropical marine ecosystem network in the Caribbean. Its coral reefs are particularly outstanding in contrast to other Caribbean SCUBA destinations. Why? Because Cuba’s relative isolation and limited development meant that the area was left well alone while other reefs were assaulted by coastal construction, overfishing, sewage runoff, siltation, and irresponsible tourism. When you visit, you’ll see for yourself how the Caribbean could have been, if humans had cared more about their environmental impact. Gardens of the Queen Eco Systems The Gulf of Ana Maria lines the southern coastline of Cuba. It is a “shelf” area with a maximum depth of around 25 meters, containing a wealth of different habitats. Most notably the holy triumvirate of mangroves, seagrass, and coral reef. These three particular ecosystems are essential in supporting the biodiversity of the shallow tropical oceans because some coral reef fish spend their childhood in the safety of seagrass beds or mangrove roots. (This applies even to larger predators which grow up to rule the reef; I’ve seen many baby Blacktip Reef Sharks and barracuda practice their hunting skills in seagrass nurseries only one meter deep.) Other functions of the mangrove-seagrass-coral triad include co-hosting fishes’ breeding and feeding grounds, and (to the special benefit of the delicate coral organism) catching the mainland’s soil and nutrients before they reach the reef. Gardens of the Queen Marine life Within these ecosystems, you’ll get to see wildlife wonders in abundance. On Jardines de la Reina’s coral reefs, two
Do you want to travel back in time and witness the Caribbean Sea as it was hundreds of years ago? Dive Cuba’s sprawling national park in the Gulf of Ana Maria; it’s called Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) for good reason. This archipelago of 250 coral and mangrove islands is probably the
