Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen), Cuba
By Bob Pecoraro
With the doors to the forbidden island opening ever so slightly, I thought it would be prudent to get to Cuba before the first McDonalds or Starbucks opened in Havana. I wanted to experience Cuba as it is now, and probably how it had been for the last fifty-five years. After poring over Treasury Department documents, I was able to secure a “travel license” through an Ocean Conservation “people to people” education program. This would allow me to meet with Marine Biologists and Conservationists and would also allow me to participate in Scuba diving activities in one of the most pristine ecosystems remaining in the Caribbean, Jardines de la Reina (The Gardens of the Queen). This area is a cluster of small cayes and mangroves located about fifty miles off the southern coast of the island. Getting there was no easy task.
I began my journey by flying to Cancun, Mexico. At the time that I booked my air tickets, flights from JFK to Havana had not yet been announced, and existing flights from Miami to Havana were booked solid. After overnighting in Cancun, I flew non-stop into Havana, where I spent the night. I was up at 3:30 am to meet the bus for a six hour drive to the town of Jucaro, where I then boarded a boat, arriving at Jardines de la Reina about three hours later.
Avalon Cuban Diving Center operates six live aboard boats in Jardines de la Reina. They cater to divers and fishermen (catch and release only). They are the only company allowed to operate there by the Cuban government. That limits the amount of divers who visit the area and it helps to preserve the pristine reef system, which still exists there. Apparently, Fidel Castro was a scuba diver and he used to dive at Jardines when he was a young man. It was declared a Marine Protected Area in 1996 and the only fishery permitted to operate there is a lobster fishery. That probably explains why I only saw one lobster in fifteen dives, although many appeared on the dinner table almost every night. My home for the next six days was a stationary liveaboard called Tortuga, which was tied off in a clearing in the mangroves. It was basically a floating hotel, surrounded by a dive shop, crew quarters, boat docks and a generator room. The Tortuga had eight guest rooms, holding from sixteen to twenty-one divers. The rooms were large and comfortable, with their own private bathroom. Food was served in an air conditioned dining room or on the back deck, where there was a small bar and a couple of large picnic tables. Food was plentiful and quite good.
Dives were performed from small boats, which picked up the divers at the front of Tortuga. There were three scheduled dives per day. More dives could be requested for an additional cost. Time to the dive sites ranged from ten to twenty-five minutes. On some days the boat would return to Tortuga between the first and second dives. On other days it would stay out and the divers were taken to a small island while the crew changed the tanks. The island contained a lot of friendly iguanas and Hutia (a small rodent that looks like a miniature Capybara). Other between-dive activities included snorkel tours near the mangroves and searching for Nino, one of the friendly American Crocodiles with whom the crew of the Tortuga was familiar.
I have heard that diving in Jardines de la Reina was like diving in the Caribbean fifty years ago. I cannot attest to that statement, since I have only been diving in the Caribbean for about the last twenty years; However, I can say that I went into this trip with high expectations and I was not disappointed. The reefs were the healthiest that I had ever seen in the Caribbean, teeming with life. Grunts, porkfish, snappers and goatfish covered the reefs like a carpet. There were sharks, tarpon and numerous species of grouper seen on pretty much every dive. The three species of shark that I encountered were Caribbean Reef Sharks, Silky Sharks and Nurse Sharks. We saw a smallish Whale Shark swim by prior to one dive. It just kept going and we were not fast enough to see it in the water while snorkeling. Baiting for sharks was a common practice for Avalon Cuban Diving Center. The lead Divemaster, Tony, did ask the group if anyone objected to this practice; nobody did. They did not, however, do this on every dive. On the shark baiting dives, Tony or Noel, the other Divemaster, would bring down a white aluminum box with a few fish parts in it. The box had a line on it that they would use to pull it open at the conclusion of the dive to expose the yummy morsels there in. On one dive the sharks obviously did not pay attention to the briefing and opened the box on their own…at the beginning of the dive. It created quite a feeding frenzy, which was fun to observe.
Another rather unique opportunity that exists in Jardines was the chance to swim with American Crocodiles. Among the many crocodiles that live in the mangroves, there were three that were known by name. They were Tito, Franco and Nino. Tito and Franco lived near the Tortuga. They visited just about every day, lured by the possibility of handouts in the form of chicken parts. Franco was apparently shy and he didn’t get along with Tito. We did not see Franco during our stay, since Tito showed up every day, presumably keeping Franco away. Nino lived in the mangroves, some distance from Tortuga. We visited him between dives one day. The funny thing about Nino was the way in which the crew attracted him to the boat. Once the boat engine was turned off the crew began to shout “Niiiiinnnoooo, Niiiiinnnoooo”…and it worked. After a few minutes, Tony pointed across the mangroves and declared: “Here he comes”. Really??? Now that’s cool! The way that guests interacted with the crocodiles in Jardines was vastly different from the experience that I had interacting with the same species in Mexico one year ago. In Mexico it was very controlled, with a limit of two “swimmers” per guide. It was done in shallow, chest-deep water, where you could easily stand up. The guide was armed with a pole spear. He used the non-spear end to gently nudge the crocodiles if they got too close. In Cuba, there was not necessarily a guide in the water with the guests. When Tito came for a visit at the Tortuga, the guests were allowed to suit up in snorkeling gear and go into the water on their own, without supervision. The water surrounding the boat was about ten feet deep. When Nino showed up at the boat from his mangrove lair, swimmers all just got into the water at their leisure. The depth varied from one foot to around ten feet. The two crocodiles that we interacted with in Cuba did not show any signs of aggression or agitation. I assumed that they were coming around, expecting a handout at some point. They were usually not disappointed.
My entry and exit point into and from Cuba was Havana. I spent a total of three nights there. I had one full day to tour a city that appeared to be stuck in a time warp. 1950’s model cars were seen everywhere. Many were convertibles and served as taxis, because people will pay more to ride in them than they would to ride in a plain old modern cab. Classic architecture ruled in “old Havana”. There was even an exact replica of the U.S. Capitol building there. Much of the infrastructure was in disrepair, but attempts were being made to restore some of those classic buildings. For the last four or five years it seemed that more opportunities had opened up for average Cubans to make a little more money for themselves. Homestays and small restaurants inside residences had become somewhat commonplace. I dined at several of those restaurants and they were very good. Food and drink were relatively cheap. Small souvenir stands, art shops, bars and restaurants were plentiful in the market area in “old Havana”. The people of Cuba seemed to welcome the new influx of American visitors. Most were friendly and outgoing. They were honest and open about how they lived and would share their experiences with you if you were so inclined to ask. On a cautionary note: when traveling anywhere in the world, be it Queens, NY, Orlando, Florida, Rome, Italy or any other place you can think of, one must be careful and take necessary precautions to avoid becoming a victim of a crime. Unfortunately, a member of our party had her purse snatched on the streets of Havana, while walking back to the hotel following dinner. She had her purse strung across her body, however, the purse strap was flimsy and a thief ran by her, ripping it from her body and escaping with passports belonging to her and her husband. They were then stranded in Havana for an additional three days because the newly opened US Embassy was closed for a three day holiday weekend. Although the crime rate is reported to be low in Cuba, many people are poor and desperate; tourists are often the victims of petty theft and scams. Luckily our friend was unhurt and they were able to safely leave the country a few days later.
With all that I’ve heard about Cuba over the years, particularly about the diving in Jardines de la Reina, I went into this adventure with great anticipation. It is safe to say that this trip certainly lived up to my high expectations. For those that may be interested in traveling to this destination, you can reach out to Cindi LaRaia of DiveDiscovery.com. She arranged everything from the travel license to the flights, hotels and diving. I have been using her travel services for the last fifteen years. I suggest that you hurry though. It is my understanding that prices are already beginning to rise and American companies are already trying to negotiate deals in Cuba. You’re definitely going to want to get there before the first cruise ship pulls into port, and before you can get a McMojito at the local McDonalds!
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