Dive Review of Avalon in
Cuba/Jardines de la Reina

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Avalon, Oct, 2012, by Graham McGregor, Kilmacolm, GB ( Top Contributor 41 reports with 24 Helpful votes). Report 6729 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Jardines de la Reina is mangrove/coral chain about 65 miles off the south coast of Cuba. It has been a marine park for about 20 years. Given that diving is limited to about 700 divers each year, the reefs are in very good condition, significantly better than most other parts of the Caribbean. Avalon Divers are the only operator in JDR. They have a couple of liveaboards but they were not in iuse during our stay. We stayed on their "houseboat" - Tortuga and dived off a skiff. Dive sites were within 10 to 20 minutes away. There were only 8 of us on Tortuga, so we all had a room each. The rooms accommodate 3 or 4 people in sinles/bunks. There's plenty of room if only one in the room - it would be a bit tight if the room is full! Separate small bathroom/shower in each room. Hot warer was plentiful. Tortuga was a good base. The food was great, fresh seafood/fish at lunch and dinner. After the last dive each day you return to a complimentary Mohito and pizza - fantastic. This is one of the places to go to experience shark action. We had many sharks on virtually every dive - Caribbean Reef sharks or Silky sharks. We also saw Nurse sharks. Avalon take a small bait box down on some dives (not all), which means a plethora of sharks. It's not a shark feed as such but there are loads of sharks around, extremely close. This is not a location for the nervous or feint-hearted. Avalon have three dives a day in their standard package but we paid an extra 35 Euros per person for a 4th day dive each day. Well worth the money. It is a bit of a journey to get to and from JDR. You have to overnight in Havana and then its a 5/6 hour coach trip across Cuba, followed by a 3 hour boat transfer. Is it worth it - definitely.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Galapagos, Maldives, Sipadan, Malapascua, Red Sea, Caribbean, Hawaii, Florida, Spain
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	choppy, no currents
Water Temp	30-31°C / 86-88°F	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	15-30 M / 49-98 Ft
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	All dives were guided but you could pretty much stay dowwn as long as you wanted
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Avalon in Cuba/Jardines de la Reina

Avalon, Oct, 2012,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Avalon in
Cuba/Jardines de la Reina