Snorkelling in Cuba

by Carol Reid

For us this was part of a two centre holiday - 9 nights in Guardalavaca and then 3 nights in Havana in May 2004. Obviously there was to be no snorkelling in Havana so my report has to be based on my fairly limited experience of the holiday resort of Guardalavaca - where we stayed at the Brisas Holiday Complex in an apartment in one of the villas.


At first when I looked out at the sea, I was delighted to see dark patches which I thought were rocky areas where lots of fish would be found.

However, I was disappointed to find that these were simply grassy areas and the water was about thigh deep for as far as I could be bothered to wade.

The skipper of the Hobie Cat in this picture keeps the keel up until she is well out to sea. Also the breaking waves in the picture show even shallower patches but no rocks or coral!

However, a short walk along the beach led me to the Dive Centre where an amiable Cuban who was well travelled and spoke excellent English explained that the house reef was the best place to snorkel and pointed out the direction just beyond a stone jetty.

The best snorkelling was to be found out beyond the boats in this photo where the water turns green - this was distance of at least 100m in water which was, at high tide, about 1m deep and at low tide half a metre!

I took a walk to the end of the pier and stared out to sea. Just then the Hobie Cat reappeared and crossed exactly the path I was planning to use to get to the reef. Hmm.. thinks me..... that's a bit dangerous - I hope they are on the lookout for snorkellers!

Next day I went out keeping close to the pier and saw a fair bit of life at the end of the pier including a nasty looking scorpionfish so well disguised that it appears in none of the photos I took. However, there were plenty of other fish including this flatfish with pretty blue spots who were quite happy to almost pose for me.

No Hobie cats in sight (I was wearing my bright orange lifevest) so I started then to head towards the reef over the seagrass (lots of sea urchins) and suddenly heard that buzzing engine so hated by us quiet seagoing folk! Yes! A jet ski had appeared!

I found this VERY alarming since jet skiers are not reknowned for their safety and/or seamanship skills! So I pulled myself up into a vertical position and found I was kneeling on the grass but well out of the water so as to be easily spotted. It disappeared around the end of the pier and I about turned and headed back since I expected it would reappear again with another driver.

We found that Hobie Cats and jet skis stopped after 1630 and there were no other motorised boats around (one of the advantages of Cuba) so at the earliest opportunity, I finned out to the reef and was delighted with the amount of coral and the different varieties of fish which were around that area although the water was only about 2-3 metres deep. There was not however, a single crab or lobster to be seen.

This provided great snorkelling for me - but remember, I'm used to West of Scotland!

I'm sure that these reefs were not in pristine condition although during the time I was there I never saw anyone else out there snorkelling. I tried, after describing the wonder of it all, to take two women out there - I am after all, an OW snorkelling instructor, but they got as far as the pier and could go no further. They had the usual problems with unfamiliar mask, difficulty breathing through the snorkel and poorly fitted fins. Many people underestimate the value of lessons in the safety of a pool until equipment becomes familiar and many people must also be put off for life by an experience similar to this when they think they can just use the mask, fins and snorkel which are available at many holiday resorts. I advised these ladies to practice in the pool and take a note of the equipment they had borrowed each day so that were given the same mask etc but as afar as I know they never did go out again.

I also went on a snorkelling expedition on the Glass Bottom boat where I found myself with one other man (a non-English speaking German) the dive guide and the skipper.

He too was going snorkelling but it became very obvious that he had never worn a mask before and I found myself removing his long hair from beneath the silicone seal. However, once in the water I decided that I was a paying customer - not an on-board Instructor/guide and I left him and the guide to it and went off with my camera and a few bits of fish from a bucket. It is not possible however, to feed fish and take pics at the same time.

I am still of the opinion that one should not feed the fish when snorkelling or diving since this results in a change in fish behaviour - they learn quicky that long neoprene-clad creatures with shiny faces are a source of food and if none is available then will nibble exposed parts of the diver.



The guide could entice the moray eel out of his crevice with this tasty morsel.

But soon became so surrounded by smaller fish that the moray retreated once more into his hidey-hole.
By this time, of course, the hapless German had returned to the boat deciding that this activity was not for him so he had to content himself with viewing us through the glass bottom.

I too returned after 80 photographs and my batteries gave out!

I was surprised then when we headed for another site (he should've told me to save a few pics and batteries) but when I prepared to go in when he did, he advised against it since the big grouper EXPECTED food and he showed me the scars on his hands to prove it! He also said that there were several barracuda who would be attracted to the shiny lens on my camera.

Hm, I thought, that would make a change - most of the uw critters I see find me and my "big eye" so frightening that they head off as soon as I appear. Hence all the photos I have of fishy rear ends!

The grouper was certainly big at about a metre long and very aggressive so I'm sure the guide was grateful for the chain mail gloves he had put on.

I enjoyed the two hour trip which should have cost $24 USD - but since they had no change I settled for a $6 tip! Somewhat excessive in a country where teachers are paid $20 a month but a ruse which, I suspect, has been successful many times before.


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