Have you gone on a liveaboard in Jardines de la Reina, Cuba?

[Ironborn]

If you have gone on a liveaboard in Jardines de la Reina: did you enjoy it? Do you think that it was a good choice, in retrospect? Would you recommend it to others? How would you compare the quality of the diving to that of other top-tier Caribbean destinations (e.g. Bonaire, Belize, Cozumel, the Cayman Islands, etc.)

It seemed to me that the Jardines de la Reina liveaboards may not provide as much value for the money as liveaboards in other top-tier Caribbean destinations, as they are more expensive and/or provide fewer dives or lack nitrox. Perhaps one could accept that as a trade-off, however, if the local environment is as pristine and healthy as its reputation suggests, i.e. more so than other top-tier Caribbean destinations, and it thus yields better diving experiences. I heard it described as a "Galapagos of the Caribbean;" would you agree?

 

[hilljo88]

I did Aggressor liveaboard to Jardines June 2016. Awesome. Reef is as healthy as any in the Carib. Great people, great diving. and I strongly recommend a couple days in Havana. But I don't understand the Galapagos comparison at all. The LOB trips to Darwin and Wolf feature large pelagics, no reef. Usually cold water. I did a LOB there too and loved it, but the feature there is 100s of schooling hammerheads at 60-90 feet. About the only comparison I would make is great people at both locations, and you will likely never see another dive boat during your trip. Strongly recommend both trips without reservation.

 

[Ironborn]

I did Aggressor liveaboard to Jardines June 2016. Awesome. Reef is as healthy as any in the Carib. Great people, great diving. and I strongly recommend a couple days in Havana. But I don't understand the Galapagos comparison at all. The LOB trips to Darwin and Wolf feature large pelagics, no reef. Usually cold water. I did a LOB there too and loved it, but the feature there is 100s of schooling hammerheads at 60-90 feet. About the only comparison I would make is great people at both locations, and you will likely never see another dive boat during your trip. Strongly recommend both trips without reservation.

I think that the point of the Galapagos comparison was to claim that Jardines de la Reina is more pristine and richer in marine life than elsewhere in the Caribbean, not to compare the specific diving conditions and the specific types of marine life in the two destinations. You said that the reefs were as healthy as any in the Caribbean - could one argue that they were even healthier and richer, or about the same as other top-tier Caribbean destinations?

Also, as for the dive operation, I read that they only do four dives a day and limit dives to 60 minutes. I looked at their logs and it looks like they usually do only two night dives. What was the dive schedule like? It seems like they offer fewer dives than most other Aggressors, including night dives. Does the dive operation limit the night dives, or do the passengers vote on whether to do a night dive or another daylight dive?

 

[Ayisha]

I haven't done an Aggressor liveaboard, but I've done an Avalon liveaboard in Jardines de la Reina. It was awesome and my detailed trip report from 2 years ago is here: Jardines de la Reina, Cuba Trip Report - September 2015

I haven't been diving in Bonaire, but I've been diving in Cozumel, Belize, and Grand Cayman (out of your list). The reef is pristine and there is abundant, large marine life as good or better than the best of those areas. It is infinitely better than the typical Caribbean reef and has way more marine life.

My understanding regarding the lack of night dives in Cuba is that the government frowns upon boats being in the open ocean at night. Apparently the gas is rationed and unfortunately the only boats that are allowed to have enough gas to get anywhere significant are the tourist liveaboards. That was told to my friend by a Cuban DM, but I was not present for the conversation.

 

[Ironborn]

My understanding regarding the lack of night dives in Cuba is that the government frowns upon boats being in the open ocean at night. Apparently the gas is rationed and unfortunately the only boats that are allowed to have enough gas to get anywhere significant are the tourist liveaboards. That was told to my friend by a Cuban DM, but I was not present for the conversation.

I am bit confused as to how that explanation is an obstacle to the liveaboards doing night dives. I could see how fuel rationing might require them to reduce the overall number of dives (the Aggressors there only offer four per day, instead of the usual five almost everywhere else), but I don't see how that would be an obstacle to night dives in particular. Do night dives require more fuel? One could do three dives in the daytime and one at night, or four dives during the daytime.

The Aggressors do offer night dives, so if the Cuban government is uncomfortable with night dives, that does not appear to be stopping the Aggressors. The logs of the Aggressor II indicate that, on three trips, they did two night dives on each trip. I was wondering if that is a matter of policy or just reflected the preferences of the passengers on those specific trips.

The cheaper Avalon liveaboards offer night dives "for a generous tip," so if the Cuban government is uncomfortable with night dives, it does not appear to be stopping the DMs from earning some extra cash.

 

[Ayisha]

Hi, I was trying to delicately say that they frown on boats in the open ocean at night because they don't know which ones are escaping from Cuba. The typical ration on gas for local boats is not necessarily to save gas, they simply give them limited amounts so they cannot get as far away as some may like.

Our DM said that if he took us on a night dive, they would not be able to turn on any lights and it would be a stealth operation, and if they got caught there would be a lot of trouble. At least one of the later trips several months later did do a night dive, with lots of asking by the passengers and some nice tips.

Keep in context that I went over 2 years ago and Avalon was the only liveaboard with a permit for the protected area at the time. There's now competition and I'm sure things are changing.

 

[RyanNM]

Just returned from a week diving on the Avalon 2 in los Jardines. Wow. It was a great experience. First class service and pristine reefs, lots of sea life, tons of reef, silky and nurse sharks almost every dive. A beautiful experience all around. Great people committed to quality service. No problem night diving. Nitrox every dive. Awesome meals every time from a very skilled chef. I can't recommend it enough!

 

[Ironborn]

Just returned from a week diving on the Avalon 2 in los Jardines. Wow. It was a great experience. First class service and pristine reefs, lots of sea life, tons of reef, silky and nurse sharks almost every dive. A beautiful experience all around. Great people committed to quality service. No problem night diving. Nitrox every dive. Awesome meals every time from a very skilled chef. I can't recommend it enough!

Thank you for the feedback. Does Avalon also have an OFAC license for American visitors? I did not see any explanation of how they can accommodate American visitors.

 

[RyanNM]

Thank you for the feedback. Does Avalon also have an OFAC license for American visitors? I did not see any explanation of how they can accommodate American visitors.

They are linked with the company EcoCuba Outings out of Calif that is officially certified by OFAC; you receive a letter of authorization from Eco Cuba along with a full itinerary that will satisfy the (dumb) OFAC restrictions. There are some lectures on board that cover the Marine Reserve and its history, its environmental protections and value to the surrounding ocean ecosystem. You also participate in a species count that is tallied following each dive. So coming back through US Customs, the officer asked me where I went ("Cuba"), and "Were you there just on vacation?": I said no, I was part of a oceanic biodiversity research program. No further discussion necessary.
EcoCuba can also arrange a 2 or 3 day trip to Havana that will also be OFAC certified. I did not do that with them, because I have been there several times and I had other business there in Havana (so my entire trip was not technically covered by the OFAC license, but I have other ways that I can fudge my reasons for being there). But if you've never been to Cuba or Havana before, I would take advantage of this opportunity to visit the capital. The country and Havana are beautiful and not to be missed if you can help it. In that case, I suggest you fly into Santa Clara (or Cienfuegos), from which you will be met by a transfer to the boat in Jucaro that is supplied by Avalon at no extra charge; and get your return flight out of Havana.
Like I stated above, the service aboard Avalon is first class, with everything you need taken care of in style. Great people on staff, every one, to a person. No "extra tip" for night dives. Nitrox every dive, if you want, for an extra, reasonable, one-time fee. It's really a trip not to be missed, one you will remember for a long time.