Jardines Aggressor I

Cuba Travel Program Includes:

• Transfers to/from Havana José Martí International Airport; located 9 miles from Havana on start/end day of program.
• 2 nights hotel accommodations at the Iberostar Parque Central Hotel in Havana, all meals, dinner at Ivans Restaurant.
• Full day Friday; Meeting with Cuban scientists and biologists speaking on ocean conservation and research, visit to Fortress of El Morro or Hemingway House, town of Cojimar, Habana Vieja, lunch in Bodeguita del Medio and dinner at Cafe de Oriente or Moraleja.
• Saturday transfer from Havana to Jucaro for boarding of the Jardines Aggressor or Jardines Aggressor II liveaboards
• Sunday to Friday Gardens of the Queen scuba diving and meeting with Cuban biologists
• Saturday disembarkation transfer to Havana José Marti International Airport
• All meals are included in the Cuba Travel Program

Cañon de Sigua
Very close to Key Sigua is a seagrass bed that drops to a dramatic vertical wall that is covered with black coral. Here you will find goliath grouper, jacks, rays, barracudas, and other abundant coral formations. The wall is also home to an abundant variety of sponges of all shapes and sizes.

Cañon de Sigua
This is a sandy shoal full of large colorful coral heads and canyons where you will see black coral trees, sea fans, purple tunicates, lobster and beautiful giant anemones.

Blue Hole - Sigua
A vertical wall that drops off into the blue. One side of the wall is almost vertical and the other side has an overhang, this way, as we descend the cavity becomes larger and wider. At the very entrance of the blue hole, there are plenty of lobsters, nudibranchs, yellow-headed jawfish, flamingo tongues. This site is located on the southeast side of the lighthouse at Sigua. The reef itself is shaped like a large horseshoe and is a well-known spot for diving. With the vessel anchored inside the horseshoe, the Blue Hole is at the northwestern tip of the second ridge of the horseshoe.

Cayo Blanco
Located behind the coral reef, this shallow site is awesome for night diving since it is only between 1 and 3 meters ((3 - 10ft) deep. Just behind on the east side of Cayo Blanco is a small ridge of colorful reefs. During night dives you will be able to see octopus, squid, moray eels, rays, balloon fish, shrimp, crabs, nudibranchs, etc. Visibility at this site is generally excellent.

Corona de Cayo Cobo
This site is shaped like a long coral ridge, 30 meters (90ft) wide and 800 meters (2400ft) long and the height varies between 5 - 9 meters (15-30ft), with drop-offs on both sides, forming almost vertical walls on both sides. Here you will find a variety of small and larger, colorful sponges, hard coral, colonies of black coral as well as beatiful soft corals. There are some cubera snappers, friendly angelfish, schools of grunts, porgies and some large schools of spadefish.
Access to this site is very easy, entering the Gulf of Cazones by the east side and passing by Key El Calvario. There are some rails at the border that are remains of an old pier and 500 meters (1500ft) ahead the water turns from light, clear blue into the mesmerizing darker, deeper blue. The wall to the west is more attractive than the one on the east and generally has better visibility. There is almost always a moderate current here so caution should be taken as not to have to swim against it but rather flow with it.

Arrecife Somero
Near Cayo Sigua, this is a reef ridge that is shaped like a horseshoe. Here you will encounter many colonies of very healthy elkhorn coral, some schools of jacks, blue tangs, grunts and barracudas. This site is good for both snorkeling and diving. Under the vessel, in the horseshoe of Sigua, there is a second rectangular reef ridge facing northwest. This spot is very good for night dives, especially behind the ridge itself, Depth ranges between 2 and 5 meters (6 - 15ft).

Delije Drop
This site bottoms out at 15 meters (45ft) and is near the edge of the cliff, making a ridge at a shallower depth of 12m (36ft) before dropping off further. The wall is not completely vertical but magical nevertheless. There are some cuberas, barracudas, stingrays and all kinds of other colorful and lively Caribbean reef fish.

Gorgonian Reef
This wall starts at 13m (40ft) and drops off more than 30m (90ft). Here you will encounter many types of gorgonians, sponges and hard coral and you will more than likely see some small rays in the sand and the American Spondrylus.

La Farola de Guerrero
This is located to the east of the obelisk erected for Ernest Tellman. This dramatic wall drops from 12m (36ft) to over 35m (100ft) and is covered with black coral as well as some cuberas. There are also schools of mangrove snappers and different species of grunts in the shallower areas.

La Parede Negra
This dramatic wall is located in front of Ernest Tellman Key, where the dropoff  begins at about 10m (30ft). Descending, you will see two mountains of coral stuck to the wall between 20 - 30m (60 - 90ft), and the separation between them is more than 40m (120ft). Here you will find many colonies of black coral, some school masters and many interestingly shaped and colored sponges. There are schools of jacks and barracudas inhabiting this site as well.
A long ridge to the south of Cayo Ballenato, you will find multiple Caribbean reef fish such as the friendly parrotfish,  shiny barracudas, hermit crabs, mojarras, rays. Spectacular for night diving.

Nirvana
This shallow reef is located at the center and entrance of the Gulf of Cazones and very close to a red buoy signal used for ship navigation. Depth ranges from 2 - 6m (6 - 18ft). Divers will find plenty of healthy colonies of elkhorn and staghorn coral. According to some Cuban and American specialists, it is one of the best-preserved reefs in Cuba and with a plethora of sea creatures, fish and other organisms. This is a great spot for snorkeling or for a shallow dive.

Parede al norte de Cayo Palomo
Very close to Cayo Palomo, about a mile north, there is an irregular wall that descends to between 7 and 25m (20 - 85ft) and it gives way to a large sandy area with mounds of coral, some cuberas, schools of jacks, multicolored sponges and a variety of hard corals.

Muelle de Cayo El Calvario
Located exactly between the pilons of an old pier of Cayo El Calvario, this place is very well sheltered and usually has very good visibility. Depths range between 2 and 5m (6 - 15ft). The old pilons are covered with all kinds of organisms and invertebrates and at night you can encounter lobsters, crabs, octopus, polychaetes, decorator crabs, squid, coffin fish. Excellent for night dives.

Jardín de Las Gorgonias
Located opposite Cayo Ernest Tellman, this vertical wall drops down from 18m (50ft) and is covered with colonies of deep gorgonians, black coral and a large variety of sponges as well as colorful giant anemones. The shallowest part of the reef forms a bar of coral at only 10m (30ft) and has a length of several hundred meters.

Jardín de las Esponjas
Again, opposite Cayo Ernest Tellman, another vertical wall east of the Gorgonian wall, with the same coral bar at only 10m (30ft) of depth. The wall however, starts at 15m (45ft). This wall hosts barrel sponges, black coral, giant anemones, school of medium shrubs moving along the cliff. There are also schools of dog snappers on the cliff, hawksbill turtles, coffin fish and lobsters.

Blue Hole - Golfo de Cazones
About half a mile north of Cayo Palomo, the tip aligns, north of Cayo Palayo, with the tip of Cayo El Calvario. Half a mile and on a platform of about 8m (25ft) depth is the Blue Hole. It is formed as a single vertical cavity of more than 30m (90ft) with several overhangs. Frequently observed are cuberas, permits, schools of barracudas, grunts and giant anemones. Close by is another reef at 8m (25ft) with plenty of colorful small fish as well as starfish, colonial anemones and lobsters.
The cavity is rather narrow so a large group of divers should not enter at the same time because they would more than likely stir up silt that would impact visibility. There are sand cascades and many flaps inside the hollow area which hosts permits and cuberas. It’s ideal to make two groups. It has been given the name after the Fishing boat 303, who gave us this information about the two blue holes.

Lemus Blue Hole
This blue hole is more than 40m (120ft) in diameter and drops from 11m (33ft) to a staggering 70m (210ft). There are eagle rays patrolling the hole and on the outside there are amber jacks, cuberas, plenty of white grunts, sea stars, lobsters and moray eels. Spondilus Americanus (bivalve) are prevalent at the top. It is named in honor of the Mexican Alejandro Lemus, the Mexican and Pan-American champion of apnea. To the north of Cayo Palomo, below the wall, next to the navigational buoy No77, the wall ends and the bottom lies at 10 - 22m (30 - 65ft) with many mounds of coral and with inhabitants such as goliath grouper, hawksbill turtle, grunts, lobsters and many large sponges.

Boya No. 77
Close to Cayo Palomo, Gulf of Cazones, is a cliff that heads in a northerly direction and from a shelf of 11m (33ft), the wall falls smoothly to 32m (100ft). Here you will find numerous colonies of black coral, snappers, some cuberas, barracudas, red hinds and a plethora of spo

The Yacht - Jardines Aggressor I
Port: Zapata, Cuba

Built and maintained to SOLAS shipping standards.
•  Length:  110 ft.
•  Beam: 22 ft
•  Passengers: 20
•  Crew:  6
•  Boarding:  Saturday afternoon
•  Disembark: Saturday 4  a.m.
•  Up to 27 dives

Stateroom Details:

Room #1 Deluxe Stateroom
Rm Size:  9ft x 9" feet (no porthole)
Side by Side
44 x 75 inches
36 x 74 inches

Room #2 Deluxe Stateroom
Rm Size:  8ft  x 8ft 6in feet with porthole
Side by Side
32 x 74 inches
32 x 74 inches

Room #3 Deluxe Stateroom
Rm Size:  8ft  x 8ft 6in feet with porthole
Side by Side
32 x 74 inches
32 x 74 inches

Room #4 Deluxe Stateroom
Rm Size:  8ft  x 8ft 6in feet with porthole
Side by Side
32 x 74 inches
32 x 74 inches

Room #5 Deluxe Stateroom
Rm Size:  8ft x 8ft with porthole
Side by Side
32 x 74 inches
32 x 74 inches

Room #6 Deluxe Stateroom
Rm Size:  8ft x 7in feet with porthole
Side by Side
32 x 74 inches
32 x 74 inches

Room #7 Deluxe Stateroom
Rm Size:  8ft x 7ft 6in feetwith porthole
Side by Side
32 x 74 inches
32 x 74 inches

Room #8 Deluxe Stateroom
Rm Size:  8ft x 8in feet with porthole
Side by Side
32 x 74 inches
32 x 74 inches

Room #9 Master Stateroom
Rm Size:  10ft x 8in feet with picture window
Side by Side
Movable to Queen Bed
35 x 74 inches
35 x 74 inches

Room #10 Master Stateroom
Rm Size:  10ft x 8in feet with picture window
Side by Side
Movable to Queen Bed
35 x 74 inches
35 x 74 inches