This time we flew to Cuba with a small group. But even though it can be harder to find like-minded people in smaller groups, we were incredibly lucky. Our travelers connected effortlessly and found a shared passion — diving, of course. The trip came together warmly and with great energy; everyone in our group was truly on the same wavelength, which made spending time together easy and genuinely enjoyable!
Our journey began at the Varadero resort. Flights to Cuba now take around 14 hours, and after such a long haul we spent a full day resting, catching up on sleep, acclimatizing, soaking up the sun, and swimming — easing back into ourselves after the lengthy flight.
The following day we had a 5-hour transfer to the port of Júcaro, from which boats depart toward the Gardens of the Queen reserve. Varadero sits on the opposite shore, so we essentially crossed the entire island. The drive was smooth, with just one minor hiccup: at one of the gas stations we arrived during a shift change — a fuel truck had pulled up and was being serviced with maddening slowness. We ended up waiting nearly two hours for our minibus to be filled. On the bright side, we got a generous taste of Cuban local flavor, which was interesting in its own right.
That evening we boarded our vessel, the Avalon IV, and headed out to sea, arriving at the moorings inside the Gardens of the Queen reserve close to midnight. The diving program kicked off the very next morning.
The water was pleasantly warm and visibility was on our side. Cuba's dry season was in full swing, so there had been no rain — just heat and sunshine.
The reserve's main draw is, without question, the sharks. They are the reason everyone makes the journey here — the true highlight of the park. The two species we encountered most were Caribbean reef sharks and silky sharks, with the occasional nurse shark thrown in. The reserve is home to other species as well, and whale sharks have been known to pass through, though we didn't spot any this time.
Caribbean reef sharks accompanied us on almost every dive, while silky sharks were seen mostly near the surface as we were finishing our ascents. There were no incidents with these predators during our trip. All the sharks were well-fed, relaxed, and showed no aggression — not even any particular curiosity toward the divers. If anything, it seemed like the divers were the ones pestering the sharks, though the sharks didn't appear to mind at all.
Another delightful experience was swimming alongside the enormous groupers. Like oversized puppies, they trailed the divers everywhere and were perfectly happy to pose for photos. You could even reach out and touch them — they didn't mind at all. Everyone was thrilled by these massive, completely approachable fish.
And of course, all the divers were captivated by the vibrant, teeming underwater world.
The crocodiles deserve a special mention. Cuba has them, and they can be spotted in the Gardens of the Queen as well. One individual visited the boat almost every day. He even has a name — Tito. He lives near the Avalon IV's mooring spot and comes up remarkably close, close enough to observe from arm's length. That said, Tito is quite skittish, and whenever someone tried to slip into the water for a swim with him, he would promptly disappear.
The reserve is also home to another crocodile — Niño. He lives a little deeper into the mangroves and has no fear of people whatsoever, making it perfectly possible to swim alongside him. We went looking for him, but unfortunately he didn't show himself this time.
What we did see in abundance were the local endemic hutias. These creatures look like something between a giant rat and a guinea pig. They inhabit the reserve's islands and eagerly come out to socialize with visitors during surface intervals on shore. There were also iguanas and crabs — plenty of interaction with local wildlife to go around.
The Avalon IV, our home for the week, is a brand-new vessel and extremely comfortable — spacious and well-appointed. Despite having around 30 people on board (divers and fishermen alike), there was room for everyone; no crowding, no jostling. The crew performed at 100%. Everything was close to perfect: the food, the service, the housekeeping. Everyone left not just thrilled with the diving, but equally impressed by the hospitality.
Five days of diving flew by in no time. We did three dives a day, including one night dive — though that one didn't leave a particularly strong impression.
The journey home was swift. We disembarked in the morning and were on a plane back to Moscow by evening. And now all we want is to go back!
