SCUBA CUBA with B.S.A.C 21

When Joe Mathieson proposed Cuba as the destination for the club overseas trip, it looked like a perfect opportunity to see the country as well as diving in a location which has not been visited by many British divers.

Despite several changes of dates and locations by the tour company, Joe retained his sanity and we were off to Faro De Luna on the Caribbean coast near Cienfuegos.

The flight to Havana was on a Russian built aircraft which was basic and rather old, the in-flight service was similarly based on Aeroflot standards.

On our arrival and transfer to the hotel, we were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves in a small friendly hotel with excellent facilities. The bar was the focal point in the evenings and underwater video reviews were held in the TV corner every night. Local musicians provided entertainment regularly and local rum prompted quite a few attempts at Latin dance by the Scottish contingent.

The diving was very good, due to the relatively recent introduction of diving to the area the coral is in excellent condition and the formations of the local rocks have produced some amazing gullies and cave systems, the best of all being the labyrinth. This area is a most impressive dive through canyons covered in hard and soft corals, tight entrances lead into caves full of glass fish and the overall impression is of a maze of passages and interconnected cave systems. We dived this site regularly and it became a favourite with all the divers. There are several small ship wrecks in the area, some scuttled intentionally and some showing serious damage indicating a violent collision with the reef. It was interesting to note that brass props etc. were left on the wrecks and the local dive guides were surprised to find out that metal had a scrap value, in a socialist state this does not exist. Joe and Bill were tempted to add one prop to their baggage allowance but left it for the next trip!

The fish were not too plentiful in the area, local fishermen and illegal fishing from truck innertubes and rafts have depleted the stock. One reef had a resident shoal of parrotfish and surgeons and there were isolated angel and butterfly fish around the area. This over fishing could lead to problems in the future as a coral reef is a fragile system which relies on the balance of nature being maintained, it would be a shame to see such a beautiful reef destroyed by fishing. Given the local food shortages and rationing, it is understandable that the fishing takes place and one would assume that the political situation precludes fishing outside the coastal boundaries as they are not too happy about boats sailing off to Florida and not returning. While the fish numbers were disappointing, there was a good diversity of life and many unusual fish were spotted, Bill saw a whale shark on the one dive which he did not take his video camera on. The water was warm and clear and the walls and reefs were good, all in all it was a wonderful two weeks of diving and it was enjoyed by all.

In February, the weather was hot but not oppressive, perfect for lazing by the pool between dives and sitting in the evening with a rum and coke watching the sun go down before an evening of moderate drinking and an early night! (You can believe that if you like)

We had two trips to see the cities and countryside, Trinidad and Cienfuegos are beautiful cities with wonderful colonial architecture and the countryside is dramatic and varied. The roads are pretty deserted due to fuel shortages, most people travel on the back of trucks but a lucky few own a Lada (the Rolls Royce of Cuba) or a huge, chrome laden 1950’s American car. Cuba must be Mecca for any classic car fanatic as time has stood still for transport on the island.

All in all, the trip was a huge success, we had a great time both above and below the water and we came back with fond memories of the diving, the country and the friendly people we met there.

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