Gardens of the Queen: Learning Adventures in Cuba

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Visit Cuba’s “Gardens of the Queen”

Our educational trips to Cuba, including Cuba’s Gardens of the Queen, beginning September 2013, are now available for pre-booking. Under the U.S. economic embargo of Cuba, travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens for tourism is prohibited. However, licensed educational visits are permitted. We are awaiting licensing for our travel program by the U.S. Treasury Department and appreciate your patience as we ensure our activities are in full compliance with U.S. Treasury regulations. Travel to the Gardens of the Queen is in partnership with Avalon Cuban Diving Centers. All trips will be led by Dr. David E. Guggenheim, president of Ocean Doctor and Cuba Conservancy director and/or experienced Ocean Doctor representatives. Your travel helps support our work!

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Planned Activities

We will visit Havana and vicinity, the Cuban countryside, the fishing village of Jucaro and Gardens of the Queen (Jardines de la Reina) and learn from Cuban scientists and experts about the important marine research and conservation efforts underway, including collaborative efforts with U.S. institutions. We will also learn about the management of Jardines de la Reina, one of the largest protected areas in the Caribbean, and observe how scuba and fishing activities are managed in the park. We will have the opportunity to visit research sites throughout Jardines de la Reina, both above and below the water.

Day #	Day of Week	Planned Activities
1	Wednesday	Morning/Afternoon: Depart Miami for Havana Evening: Group dinner and briefing
2	Thursday	Morning: Walking tour of old Havana and historic waterfront; meetings re: Havana Bay restoration project Afternoon: Visit to Cuban National Aquarium and discussion with local experts Evening: Dinner with Cuban scientists
3	Friday	Morning/Afternoon: Visit to Finca La Vigía, Ernest Hemingway’s home in Cuba located 10 miles east of Havana in San Francisco de Paula; discussion of importance of Hemingway in Cuba and U.S., the role of the sea in his writings; visit to nearby fishing villages Evening: Dinner with Cuban scientists
4	Saturday	Morning: Ground transportation to fishing village of Jucaro, Ciego de Ávila Province Afternoon: Depart Jucaro by boat to Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) National Park. Evening: Welcome dinner with park staff and representatives of Avalon
5	Sunday	Morning: Orientation and briefing, including a history of the reserve, results, benefits to local Cuban communities, and future plans. Orientation to field sites to be visited during the week and introduction to local species, their natural history and significance. Afternoon: Coral Reef Ecosystem Survey and Discussion I: Accompany experts on field visit to assess coral reef ecosystem community health in representative areas within the reserve. Discuss relative coral reef health, changes over time, impact of establishing the reserve 15 years ago and how this area compares to other coral reef ecosystems around the world. Evening: Group dinner with scientists. Discussion of afternoon’s observations and perspectives
6	Monday	Morning: Coral Reef Ecosystem Survey and Discussion II: Continue field visits accompanying experts to assess coral reef ecosystem community health in representative areas within the reserve. Participate in coral reef health assessment and survey work. Afternoon: Fish and Fishing I: The Role of Predators: Discuss the role of large predators, including sharks and groupers, in tourism and in maintaining ecosystem health. Accompany experts to observe these predators in the wild, their behavior, conservation and interaction with tourists. Share perspectives on role of predators in other regions and socioeconomic significance to local communities. Evening: The Cuban Diver: A discussion of the history of scuba diving in Cuba, its small but enthusiastic recreational diving community and challenges for Cuban divers to explore their maritime heritage
7	Tuesday	Morning: Fish and Fishing II: Maintaining Abundant Fish Populations: Accompany experts to key sites to observe how fish populations have rebounded in the reserve, including grouper, Goliath grouper, and tarpon. Afternoon: Fish and Fishing III: Groupers and Other Species: Roundtable discussion with former fishermen and fishing industry workers from nearby communities, including Jucaro, to explore how the transformation from fishing to ecotourism has benefited their lives. Evening: Fish and Fishing IV: Protecting spawning aggregations. Possibly observe spawning aggregations and discuss the importance of educating fishermen to protect them.
8	Wednesday	Morning: Ecotourism and Park Management I: Accompany experts to observe typical programs for visiting diving and fishing tourists. Afternoon: Ecotourism and Park Management II: A “behind the scenes” tour of the Avalon operation and roundtable discussion on park management, including enforcement, education, research, economic sustainability and incentives for local groups to protect the park. Evening: Group dinner; presentations and discussion of research results.
9	Thursday	Morning: Research in the Park: Briefing by experts on current research activities; accompany to observe underwater research sites in Gardens of the Queen and adjacent Gulf of Ana María. Discuss unique partnership of scientists and private enterprise to get the work done and its importance to the long-term health of the reserve. Discuss day-to-day challenges for scientists and research in Cuba. Accompany experts to observe terrestrial research sites in Gardens of the Queen and adjacent Gulf of Ana María focused on small islands, birds, mangroves, sea grasses, iguanas, jutías, etc. Afternoon: Managing Threats to the Park: Accompany experts to observe environmental threats to the region, including areas coral disease and bleaching, mangrove die-offs, more frequent and powerful storms, and the invasion of lionfish, its impact on local species, and the need for international collaboration. Evening: Farewell dinner and photography presentation by Cubans. Discussion of the role of photography and the arts in environmental awareness and conservation.
10	Friday	Morning: Depart Jardines de la Reina by boat, return to fishing village of Jucaro. Afternoon: Ground transportation to Havana Evening: Group dinner and debrief
11	Saturday	Morning/Afternoon: Depart Havana to Miami.

Accommodations

While in Havana, participants will enjoy 5-star hotel accommodations and Havana’s finest cuisine. In Gardens of the Queen, participants may choose to stay aboard either the live-aboard vessel, Avalon I, which can sleep 16 in eight staterooms or the floating hotel, Tortuga, which can sleep 14 in seven staterooms (or up to 21 with three persons per room). Pricing is listed below.

Avalon I Live-Aboard Vessel

Tortuga Floating Hotel

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Cost

Costs are determined by season and your accommodations while in Gardens of the Queen. Cuba’s high season runs from November through May, low season June through October.

Season	*Avalon I* Live-Aboard Vessel	*Tortuga* Floating Hotel
High Season (Nov-May)	$6,625	$5,998
Low Season (Jun-Oct)	$5,800	$5,317
All prices are per person, quoted in U.S. dollars. Prices include round trip airfare from Miami to Havana, all transfers/ground transportation, hotel/vessel accommodations, meals, excursions, inscription fees, fuel surcharges and air fills and tank rentals for scuba portion of program. Prices also include $400 tax-deductible donation to Ocean Doctor to support the research, conservation and education activities of its Cuba Conservancy Program. Please contact us for details on pricing for wholesalers, dive shops, etc.

About the Gardens of the Queen

Coral reefs are healthy and abundant in Cuba, like this Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) which has declined by 95% in the Caribbean (Photo: David E. Guggenheim)

In a world where corals are dead and dying, the corals of Gardens of the Queen are thriving, including elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) which has diminished by nearly 95 percent in the Caribbean over the past 40 years (Photo © David E. Guggenheim)

Los Jardines de la Reina or the “Gardens of the Queen” was named by Christopher Columbus to honor Queen Isabel of Spain and the area remains as spectacularly beautiful and wild as when Columbus experienced it over 500 years ago. Covering more than 837 square miles, Jardines de la Reina is one of the largest marine parks in the Caribbean and among the healthiest Caribbean marine ecosystems. Coral and fish populations appear remarkably healthy and abundant here in sharp contrast to other parts of the Caribbean. Myriads of robust fish populations include black grouper, bonefish and Cubera snapper. Even the critically endangered Nassau grouper and Goliath grouper are found in large numbers here. The area also harbors an abundant shark population, including silky sharks, Caribbean reef sharks and whale sharks.

Our Cuban colleagues on site at one of the research areas adjacent to the Gardens of the Queen

Our Cuban colleagues conducting research in the Gulf of Ana Maria, adjacent to the Gardens of the Queen

Top predators, including sharks – like this Caribbean reef shark – and grouper are abundant in Gardens of the Queen (Photo © Noel López)

Cuba Conservancy is working with the Cuban Center for the Study of Coastal Ecosystems (Centro de Investigaciones de Ecosistemas Costeros, CIEC) and the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research (Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, CIM) to study this unique ecosystem and its surrounding “life support systems,” such as the virtually unexplored Gulf of Ana Maria, in order to better understand why these marine ecosystems have been able to thrive in a world of corals that are dead and dying. We are also working with our Cuban partners to assess the economic and social value of such a healthy ecosystem. Finally, we are working to research and protect the unique and pristine ecosystems of Jardines de la Reina in order to ensure that these protections will endure in perpetuity, serve as a compelling model for marine protected areas worldwide, dramatically advance human understanding of how healthy coral reef ecosystems function, and yield critical insights to inform management decisions for protecting coral reefs globally.

Our work in Cuba’s “Gardens of the Queen” was featured on an award-winning segment of the CBS news program, 60 MINUTES hosted by Anderson Cooper.

About Us

Cuba Conservancy, an Ocean Doctor program, is built on more than 12 years of work of Ocean Doctor president, Dr. David E. Guggenheim, who directs the program.

Strong collaboration between Cuban and American scientists and conservation experts is at the core of our program

At the core of Cuba Conservancy’s mission is to establish sustained collaboration between Cuba and the United States to:

ensure enduring, locally-supported marine research and conservation programs in Cuba.
contribute to major advances in the scientific understanding of Cuba’s natural resources.
achieve meaningful, long-lasting conservation for Cuba’s marine ecosystems and shared ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico.
forge long-term collaborative relationships with our Cuban colleagues.
help train the next generation of Cuban marine scientists.

The Program builds upon a strong foundation of scientific research. Research not only serves the purpose of advancing science and informing conservation policy efforts, but also helps forge strong, long-term collaborative relationships and credibility, facilitating efforts in the policy arena. Further, collaborative scientific research is a long-supported activity by both the Cuban and U.S. governments, presenting fewer political hurdles for licensing, approvals and permits.

Cuba Conservancy - an Ocean Doctor Program

Learn more about Ocean Doctor and its Cuba Conservancy program.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are you planning any FAM trips? If so, when?

Yes. As soon as we have confirmation on our license, we’ll move ahead quickly with scheduling FAM (familiarization) trip(s). Unfortunately, it’s difficult to predict how quickly our license will be finalized. We are hoping that the first FAM trip will be in mid-Spring 2013, perhaps a bit earlier or later.

Is there a different pricing structure for wholesalers, dive shops, etc?

Absolutely. We also offer gratuities/FOC trips for the Gardens of the Queen portion of the trip. Please contact us for details.

How much scuba diving can we expect? How difficult?

We are currently planning for 15 dives over the 6-day stay at Gardens of the Queen. Diving conditions are typically ideal (high visibility, low current, calm surface conditions) though they can change with weather, of course. Visitors will be in close proximity to several species of large marine wildlife, include sharks and Goliath groupers. Several deep dives (90+ feet) may be included.

Is this program suited for non-divers, too?

Scuba diving is important in order to see many of the research sites and best understand the issues. However, we recognize that often those who dive are accompanied by those who don’t. For that reason, we can accommodate non-divers with visits to shallower areas where snorkeling is suitable, along with visits to small islands where it is possible to go ashore with Cuban experts. Each evening, we will review video and images from the day’s dives so non-divers will be able to see what was observed during our review sessions.

What about insurance. Are we covered traveling to Cuba?

We will be providing a detailed update on insurance options (including health/accident, trip cancellation, etc.) by early summer 2013 and we will be sending out a special email update to all interested travelers (join our mailing list). Regarding health insurance, all visitors to Cuba are required to purchase Cuban health insurance for the duration of their stay. (This is included in the price of the trip.) This covers health care costs incurred for any injuries or illnesses while in Cuba. Please check back soon for an update.

How can I best stay informed about your Cuba travel program?

If you haven’t already been receiving our emails, please be sure to join our mailing list. We’ll keep you informed about the latest developments and travel opportunities.

Still Have Questions?

Our international team can best answer your questions via email. Please submit your question and we’ll reply as soon as we can. Please also be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to receive updates on our Cuba travel program.

Pre-Book Early

If you or your group is interested in an educational visit to Cuba’s Gardens of the Queen, please take a moment to fill out our pre-booking form below. We look forward to working with you to create a memorable and meaningful trip to Cuba! And remember, your travel helps support our work!