Gardens of the Queen Cuba

Gardens of the Queen, in spanish Jardines de la Reina Marine Park is one of the biggest treasures of the Caribbean, in a bigger scale can also be considered as one of the world's best-preserved marine areas. The importance of its protection goes beyond the Cuban waters jurisdiction, as the connectivity between marine ecosystems has international importance. Named by Columbus to his Queen Isabel. Some divers after been here call it today the "Galapagos of the Caribbean" and come always back again. 50 miles south of the mainland of Cuba and 80 miles north of Cayman Brace is a 150 mile long mangrove and coral island system forming what belongs to the third longest barrier reef in the world. A good dive site is Octopus Cave, a natural tunnel in a reef wall 60-feet down. The surrounding coral gardens and canyons are known for attracting large numbers of sharks and other large predators. Their prevalence is part of what makes the Gardens so special.   Garden of the Queens is the area, you can scuba dive with Silky Sharks, Reef Sharks, Whale Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks, Black Tips Sharks, Leopard Sharks, Bull Sharks, whatever which shark will cross your way here, they will be very close to you, a truly unforgettable underwater experience! The Gardens of the Queen is comprised of a chain of 250 virgin coral and mangrove islands located 60 miles off Cuba’s southern coast. The protection of the environment in the Jardines de la Reina, which was declared a Marine Park in 1996 is paramount. This area has been preserved for generations to come as an intricate network of untouched marine ecosystems that have been regarded by many knowledgeable scientists and organizations as a benchmark of the original status of coral reefs as found by Christopher Columbus in the early years of his discovery.