Diving in Santa Lucia, Cuba
Located on the north coast of Cuba, in the province of Camaguey, Santa Lucia, is well known for its magnificent coral and wreck dive sites. The 13-mile-long beach is protected by the second longest coral reef in the world. The hollows and branches of the coral formations that make up this barrier reef form a habitat with a surprising diversity of marine life.
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Diving
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There are over 35 dive sites around Santa Lucia. In this area you can find shipwrecks dating back centuries, the remains of a Spanish fort and a large array of marine life. Santa Lucia is famous for the appearance of bull sharks. Bull sharks are reported by some sources to be more dangerous than great whites, but there are no reports of victims here and it is safe to dive the area. There are even shows, between August and February, where bull sharks are hand fed by local diving instructors. The actual reef is described as one of the most important and picturesque coral reefs of the world. It is possible to see many species of coral, enormous fans, crustaceans and mollusks. There also are caves and tunnels in the reef.
Santa Lucia
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There are plenty of three- and four-star hotels and guest houses at Santa Lucia beach. These include all of the resort attractions such as restaurants, swimming pools, discos, volleyball courts, jacuzzis, shopping malls and money exchange services. There is a dive center in Santa Lucia, Shark's Friends Scuba Cuba, which offers dive trips, courses, and the shark feeding show. Aside from scuba diving, you can go also go see the flamingos in the lagoons, go horseback riding, enjoy game fishing along with many other water sports.
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How to Get There
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Take a flight into Ignacio Agramonte International Airport at the nearby city of Camaguey and then grab land transfer to Santa Lucia. The airport is designed for smaller planes that fly in from larger airports in the region. Land transport is also available via highway and rail, which link Santa Lucia to the rest of Cuba.
Dive Training
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Due to United States law, it is not possible to find PADI courses in Cuba. Courses are taught under the banner of the CMAS and ACUC agencies. Rental equipment is good quality in most cases. Divers who are certified already are advised to bring their certification and logbook for verification.
Extra Information
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The water temperature is warm throughout the year, meaning that a shorty wetsuit can suffice for appropriate exposure. The average time taken to reach dive sites is between 15 and 30 minutes from the dive base, and the closest hyperbaric chamber is at the Santiago de Cuba hospital.
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References
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- Photo Credit cuba beach 2008 image by Andrii Kizilov from Fotolia.com
