Cuba Diving – The West Side

Felix Rodriguez · Issue 41, Mar/Apr 2008 · pp. 46–48

Products mentioned: Nikon D50, Ikelite, Sigma 17-70mm, Tokina 10-17mm, Nikkor 10.5mm, DS-125 strobes

In these days, there are a few places less controversial than the socialist republic of Cuba. Constitutionally defined as a “socialist state guided by the principles of José Martí, and the political ideas of Marx, Engels and Lenin”, this island, and archipelago comprising the mainland, the “Isla de la Juventud” (Island of Youth) and other smaller islands and keys, had kept theirs reefs barely toched by the hand of man and the progress itself, maybe due to the fact that only a few bunch of cubans have the privilege to use (not even own) a boat (let´s remember everything here belongs to the goverment), the almost inexistent local divers as diving industry is for turists mostly, or the protection of the government and fishing regulations, the Cuban reefs, are ones of the most preserved over time in the Caribbean. The east side of the island is famous for the archipelago “Jardines de la Rein…