María la Gorda Diving Center

María La Gorda

	Introduction
	Hotels in this zone
	Diving Sites
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	Map
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Here we relate the 50 dive sites of María la Gorda I .D. C.

01. Lost Paradise (Paraíso perdido)
02. Unnamed Garden (Jardín sin nombre)
03. Yuri’s Caves (Cuevas del Yuri)
04. Mobby Dick Whale (Ballena Mobby Dick)
05. The pirate’s anchor (Ancla del Pirata)
06. Ludo’s patch (Cabezo de Ludo)
07. The Mysterious Chain (La cadena misteriosa)
08. Enchantment I and II (El Encanto I y II)
09. Aquarium (Acuario)
10. Bebo’s Caves (Las Cuevas de Bebo)
11. Maria’s Tits (Las Tetas de María)
12. Francois Anchor (El ancla de Francois)
13. Maria’s Saloon (El salón de María)
14. The Gorgonian (La Gorgonia)
15. Vanessa’s Backyard (El patio de Vanesa)
16. Gorgonians Garden (Jardín de la Gorgona)
17. The Admiral (Almirante)
18. Marcel’s Patch (Cabezo de Marcel)
19. Labyrinth (Laberinto)
20. Miracle (El milagro)
21. Coral Valley (Valle del Coral)
22. Mysterious cave (La cueva misteriosa)
23. Yemayá (Yemayá)
24. The Farahon (El Faraón)
25. Sponges Valley (El valle de las esponjas)
26. María’s Umbrella (El paraguas de María )
27. Caribbean Balcony (El balcón del Caribe)
28. The white Stone (La piedra blanca)
29. Sunken ship (El barco hundido)
30. *
31. *
32. *
33. *
34. *
35. *
36. *
37. *
38. *
39. Water Source (Ojo de agua )
40. Viñales Valley (El Valle de Viñales)
41. Dangerous Sand (Las arenas tenebrosas)
42. Quiet Canyons (Los cañones silenciosos)
43. Rosario’s Patch (Cabezo de Rosario)
44. Round Pool (Posa Redonda)
45. *
46. *
47. *
48. The Palm tree (La palmita )
49. Negroes Shaft (La posa de los negritos)
50. Pipo’s Caves (Cuevas de Pipo)

Dive sites numbered (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 45, 46, 47) are not being currently used because they are not in optimal conditions, due to a very important natural aspect:

*** Natural phenomenon associated to El Niño Currents that has risen the water temperature provoking the death of coral. According to scientists in the last five years it has been occurring in a progressive way, manifesting itself as a whitening of the coral piece that continues covering the whole body of the coral to its death. The most significant plagues of this kind in the area are the Black Band (banda negra) and the White Plague (plaga blanca), all this added to the natural aging and death of the coral.

Use of the dive sites

The most frequently used dive sites are the ones numbered from 1 to 30, belonging to the dive zone number I, from Corrientes Cape to “ Uvero Quemado”. Dive sites from 30 to 50, located from “Uvero Quemado” to La Bajada are less used and they form part of the Dive zone number II, they are used mostly during cold fronts because the area is protected thus allowing us to have diving activities in María la Gorda all year through.

Since 1990 researches have been done in order to declare the strip of sea that covers from Corrientes Cape to San Antonio’s Cape, as National Park of Guanahacabibes and protected area ,with only a part of it devoted to contemplative scuba diving, with around 50 dive spots in a 20 km. long marine platform available for such an activity. In that area you can see the most various species of fish, sponges, gorgonians and corals, mostly black coral. You can also find there big cave formations, caverns and tunnels with hundreds of hidden wrecks of galleons and ships that used to roam those seas.

Amid this beautiful place is located the International Diving Center “María la Gorda”, ideal place for both, beginners and experienced divers. The sea bottom in this area has the most clear and colorful contrasts for the practice of sub aquatic photography since the transparency of the water allows a visibility of 30 m long up to 30m of depth; the medium water temperature varies between 24 C in December and February to 30 C in August. The marine platform is very thin and ends very close from the coast with depths between 200m and 1000m.

The morphology of the bottom is an enchanting picture with long extensions of white sand with funny patches and round reef formations. The impressive walls of the platform have the mystery of millenary wrecks, ancient canyons, anchors, and sunken treasures, all this catches the attention of adventurous treasure hunters and scientists specialized in sub aquatic archeology.The main exponents of the fauna in this area are the typical inhabitants of the Caribbean Sea such as barracuda, groupers, lobsters, eels, angel fish, crabs, etc.

Other species like sharks, sting rays, and turtles can occasionally be seen since they are not typical from the area, but in the months of May and June the sandy beaches are populated with turtles building their nests; August and September is the time for the whale shark to have a swim in the bay amid big schools of tuna fish known in Cuba as “bonitos” (pretty) also followed by other kind of sharks like hammer head, nurse shark or blue shark.

Regarding flora we have a great variety of gorgonians like Acroporas, Madrasis, Oculina, Diploria, Scolima, and many others, the commonly known as sea fan can get enormous dimensions in this waters.

Pinar del Rio Map

	Hotels in María La Gorda