The Jardines de la Reina archipelago is located 60 miles south off the central coast of Cuba. It is a coral reef close to 75 miles long, which makes it the third longest in the World. This territory is structured by 250 virgin Islands, surrounded by impassable mangrove trees. Crocodiles, turtles, iguanas and (jutías) are the main residents of the area. Jardines de la Reina was declared a National Park in 1996 and since then has been declared a protected ecological reserve.

Commercial fishing is prohibited in this area. The underwater world is beautiful and diverse. Marine walls are covered in sponges and coral. Beginning in shallow waters, the coral reefs serve as a residence to the countless diverse species of fish, offering them a natural shelter and protection.

What best characterizes the dives in Jardines de la Reina is the encounter with different varieties of sharks –the silky shark ,which is a fundamental part of the environment, provides humans the possibility of approaching them, feed them, and touch them.
Other species are Caribbean reef sharks, Lemon sharks, Hammer sharks and the Great    Whale Shark.

Avalon is the only company, in this ecological area, allowed to organize diving trips for up to 500 divers per year. Up today, 80 dive spots have been arranged which are well protected by the wind and the water currents.

In Jardines de la Reina, dives are safe from the strong marine currents. Water temperature is between 26 and 29 degrees. Visibility is more than 30 meters. There is a wide variety of fish and coral. Sharks are found in almost all dives, close to channels, due to the abundance of fish in those areas. At the end of the diving week in Jardines de la Reina, the divers change their perspective on the sharks as they discovery how intelligent these animals are and they enjoy sharing dives with them.

1-.PIPIN: The coral begins at 15 meters deep and descends to 24 meters forming canyons until drop off. Reefs are of a great beauty and multicolored. In this area, you can find the famous Silky Sharks, (Carcharhinus falciformis). At the end of the dive, in the security wall, one can establish a close encounter with them as they are very passive and friendly with divers. Here you can also appreciate the Eagle Rays (Aetobatus narinan), swimming close to the wall, Groupers, Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus), Cubera Snapper (Lutjanus cyanopterus), turtles and schools of Jack fish, and the amount of smaller species is plentiful.

2-FARALLON: This is one of the best dives in Jardines de la Reina. The Farallón is a giant coral reef which pinnacle is 17 meters depth and is filled with tunnels that end in white sandy bottoms of 29 meters depth. These passageways are almost 30 meters long, 3 meters width and 10 meters high; with the crest opening to the sunlight. The species here are the same as the Pipin dive, and also includes the Caribbean Reef Shark (Carcharhinus perezi) which swims close to the seabed.

 

3-VICENTE:  This is a dive taken down a drop off, where is possible to find coral peaks of l that slide down from 20 to 40 meters. One can observe the Blue of great beauty and the visibility is more than 30 meters. In these mountains, you can see the beautiful Black Coral. Besides the fish species previously mentioned, very lucky divers may see the Great Hammerhead Shark (Sphyma mokarran).

 

4-BLACK NEGRO 1 y 2: These dives can be described as the most exciting but also the safest one. The dives start to descend to the highest part of the coral that is between 22 and 24 meters. On the ocean floor, there is Caribbean Reef Shark (Carcharhinus perezi) in numbers over than 20, swimming around divers, surrounding them. The schools get close just due to curiosity. After being there for 15 minutes with them, is possible to swim closer to the coral formations where you can see Southern Stingray (Dasyatis americana), sleeping on the White sand ocean floor; Parrotfish, and many other smaller species. The sharks swim with the divers till the end of the dive, as if they were protecting them.

 

5-OCTOPUS CAVE: This dive is normally done on the second or third day, as it is small wall which top part starts only 5 meters down and descends down to 20 meters; forming steps that can be cataloged as a coral garden. Here you can find Caribbean Reef Shark, Nurse Shark resting under the rocks and in the canyons, enormous Groupers, Tarpon, Cubera Snapper and huge schools of smaller snapper that are found on the part closest to the wall surface. There are many varieties of gorgonians and corals

 

6-CUBERA HEAD: Considered one of the best dives in Jardines de la Reina, a place characterized by its beauty, variety and quantity of life shapes. In perfect harmony with the corals, is easy to see numerous Caribbean Sharks which accompany the divers during the entire dive, the canyons filled with fish, such as snappers, permits, groupers, rays and cat sharks which all sleep peacefully on the ocean floor. The wall extends from 7 meters on the top to 18 meters on the White sand ocean floor.