Dive Trip From Havana // Diving the Reefs of Cuba’s North Shore

My article SCUBA Diving in Cuba // Pristine Reefs on the North Shore didn’t have enough room to show you much of the diving. So, here’s to more Cuba Diving!

In the previous article, I told the whole story of the dive experience, from leaving the Malecon in Havana to our return and view of our point of origin from the fort across the historic harbor in that article.

The Underwater World of Cuba

In this post, I want to show more of the sea life we encountered while scuba diving in Cuba. The reef on the North Shore was immaculate; full of life, corals, fishes, and so much more. We were stunned at the variety of sea life.

We enjoyed a shore entry, then swam across this grassy area to the dropoff. Water temperatures in June allowed for wearing only upf shirts and rash guards.

Camera Choices For This Trip

I operated an old GoPro Hero 3. It still works great, so I’m still using it for still and video. We have two of these; a black and a white. Both still work great, so we haven’t replaced them.

My husband Bill used his Nikon Tough TG-5 underwater camera, and was still learning how to operate it.

At this point, he had not even begun to teach himself about white balance. So, these photos are not even all that great. Yet, they show the extreme beauty to be found diving in Cuba. This set is all from diving the North Shore.

Coral Everywhere

The soft and hard coral growths were simply amazing. We couldn’t get enough of the colors and textures.

Swim Throughs, Overhangs, and Channels

This swim through was at around 80 feet. Some of the swim throughs on this dive were more like overhangs, with three sides open. Our dive master Mitchell from CubaDivingNow  knew exactly where to take us for the best views.

Incredible Macro Opportunities

Everywhere we looked, there were great subjects. I’m pretty sure we saw every kind of sea life and growth ever recorded.

We were the only people at this dive site. The only four people. There were no other divers for miles around.

Startling Colors

I couldn’t get enough of the neon colors. For this trip, we used our dive lights to illuminate the reef. That didn’t work all that well. So, for our next trip, we invested in the Kraken Hydra 2500 WRU Macro (2500 Flood / 4000 Burst Lumens) Underwater Video Light for Bill’s Olympus. It has several lighting options.

For the GoPros, we chose the very slim and compact VECINO Dive Light Underwater Light that’s waterproof up to (down to) 60 meters. At 600 lumens, it suits me just fine. Also, it has a couple lighting options like flood or spot. Now I know to take it wherever, whenever, because it works great at illuminating nooks and crannies in coral walls. It works better than my dive torch.

Colors and Textures

We couldn’t get enough of the neon colors. If you looked for color, texture, pattern, shine; you could find it all. Anything in texture from bumpy to feathery. Patterns from diamonds to squares to triangles to swirls. Colors all across the spectrum, and shiny flashes on the sides of fish or water bubble orbs.

Plus Stunning Anemones

Anemones, urchins, fans, and every other growth imaginable grows here on the North Shore of Cuba. Diving this area yielded pristine reefs.

Gardens of Life

There were so many spots where we could have stopped for an hour. We could have chosen one three foot by three foot area and studied it for an hour. The closer we looked, the more we saw. This moray was initially hesitant, then curious and came further and further out of his hole.

Thousands of Beautiful Views

Our dive master Mitchell Morales would wave his hand over his face for the “beauty” sign. Beauty, beauty, beauty everywhere we looked diving in Cuba.

Sunscreen and Reef-Safe Toilitries

When you travel, don’t forget to bring a small backpack or bag for carrying a few items to the pool with you. A dry bag gives you even more flexibility and security.

My Stream2Sea dry bag is the perfect size for all my sunscreen, bathing suit or foundation garments, sunglasses case, a book, and a few other items for excursions to the pool or gym. My discount code “DeepWH” gets you 10% off everything.  Stream2Sea have reef-safe sunscreen, leave-in conditioner, lip balm, shampoo, body wash, and even mask defog! Using my link won’t increase you price, and I might receive a small incentive for introducing you to reef-safe sunscreens and more.

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Airbnb – Make Your Trips “Off The Chain!”

Urquiza’s Apartment link on Airbnb for where we based in Havana. Or, if you already are in Airbnb, typing in “Urquiza’s apartment – HAV150” will get you to the listing. Casa Urzuiza is located at 20 Prado, Apartment 5-A, on the Paseo de Prado, municipality Central Havana, province Havana, Cuba. The apartment is on the fifth floor with views of the Prado, the bay, and the forts.

Ok, so, here are two Airbnb discount codes. Try either one! The offerings from Airbnb change every couple months, so use whichever gives you the best deal. You can only use a code one time, so compare, choose whichever gives you the best deal since they change periodically, and make it count!

As of today, this one, Airbnb says, “Kimberly gave you up to $55 off your first trip.” Friends who sign up for Airbnb with my link will get $40 off their home booking. And they get $15 to use toward an experience worth $50 or more.

Also today, this one, Airbnb says, “Deep gave you up to $415 off your first adventure. I’m ready to book from this one right now! I’m thinking it’s a computer glitch – so jump on it fast!

What to Read Next:

Dive Trip From Havana // Diving the Reefs of Cuba’s North Shore

SCUBA Diving in Cuba // Pristine Reefs on the North Shore

Planning a Legal Trip to Cuba from the US // Travel Restrictions // Rules for Americans

Cuban Pesos // What We Learned About Exchanging Money in Cuba