Do you know if they do any shark dives...not necessarily shark feeding or anything, just locations with a good chance of seeing some reef sharks? I'm fine with wreck diving, and enjoy it, but honestly am more interested in marine life. I'm taking my video camera and Ikelite housing, and I'd love to get some video of some sharks. I was able to do a dive about three years ago on the south side of Cuba, and encountered bull sharks, but that was before I got the video camera. Sharks or not, are there specific sites you'd recommend for marine life videoing?
Also, I'll agree with what others have said about tips and gifts...they seem to be greatly appreciated. We plan to take things with us for staff at hotels and restaurants, and for individuals we happen to meet. In the past, if we are returning to a location where we've made friends, we've contacted them and taken specific items they need, particularly for their children. Contrary to what has been suggested, not all travellers spend their entire time on a resort or doing the group tours; I have taken the time and effort to see what "real" Cubans face day to day, and I do recognize the poverty that exists. It doesn't make me not want to go there, but it does make me recognize the importance of generosity; I feel that if I can afford to travel, I can afford tips and gifts of items that the Cubans find hard to come by. I don't do this just because some good tipping results in extra special service (although that may be the case, my own experience has been that the service is good whether you tip generously or not) but because I appreciate the efforts of people who are working hard to make a living. This year, being my first time in Varadero, I'll have to be fairly generic, but I do know it is definitely appreciated.
