Jardines de la Reina
Cuba · Caribbean
Jardines de la Reina ('Gardens of the Queen') is a 250km reef system off Cuba's southern coast — strictly protected, accessible only by liveaboard, with the densest shark and grouper population in the Caribbean. Often called the healthiest Caribbean reef.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Protection is working for the fish here: on the reef crest inside this fully protected reserve, mutton snapper reach about eight times the density found on fished reefs outside (Pina Amargós et al. 2014).
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Warmer than usual right now, but not hot enough to bleach.
Fishing
Quiet water, and the protection is actively patrolled.
Sources · MERMAID and partner coral surveys · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
Fish abundance
Fish seen per survey
Across 10 years of REEF volunteer surveys around Archipiélago de los Jardines de la Reina, divers have recorded a steady amount of fish per survey. This tracks fish life, standardised for survey effort, so we keep it separate from the coral read above.
Fish abundance over time
| Year | Density index | Surveys |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2.31 | 58 |
| 2016 | 2.23 | 105 |
| 2017 | 2.53 | 29 |
| 2018 | 2.22 | 343 |
| 2019 | 2.20 | 27 |
| 2021 | 2.23 | 144 |
| 2022 | 2.19 | 301 |
| 2023 | 2.36 | 36 |
| 2024 | 2.14 | 372 |
| 2025 | 2.32 | 21 |
What you will see
25 species across the dive sites here
Black coral colonies
Seen 1 month ago
at Black Coral 2
Caribbean reef shark
Seen 1 month ago
at Pipin
Endangered
American crocodile
Seen 1 month ago
at Crocodile Mangroves
Vulnerable
Cuban Emerald
Seen 2 months ago
at Bay of Pigs
Least concern
Northern Curly-Tailed Lizard
Seen 2 months ago
at Bay of Pigs
Least concern
Zombie Crab
Seen 2 months ago
at Bay of Pigs
West Indian Woodpecker
Seen 3 months ago
at Bay of Pigs
Least concern
Bee Hummingbird
Seen 3 months ago
at Bay of Pigs
Near threatened
Gray Snapper
Seen 4 months ago
at La Jaula
Least concern
Nassau Grouper
Seen 4 months ago
at Pipin
Critically endangered
Goliath grouper
Seen 4 months ago
at Pipin
Vulnerable
Schoolmaster Snapper
Seen 4 months ago
at Black Coral 2
Least concern
Silky shark
Seen 4 months ago
at Pipin
Vulnerable
Caribbean Spiny Lobster
Seen 4 months ago
at La Jaula
Hogfish
Seen 4 months ago
at Pipin
Vulnerable
Black Sea Urchin
Seen 4 months ago
at La Jaula
Atlantic Tarpon
Seen 4 months ago
at Crocodile Mangroves
Vulnerable
Tarpon
Seen 4 months ago
at Black Coral 2
Vulnerable
French Grunt
Seen 4 months ago
at La Jaula
Least concern
Atlantic Blue Tang
Seen 4 months ago
at Pipin
Least concern
Yellowtail Snapper
Seen 4 months ago
at Cuba Jardines de la Reina
Barracuda
Seen Aug 2024
at Bay of Pigs
Least concern
Eagle Ray
Seen Jun 2024
at Bay of Pigs
Endangered
Elkhorn Coral
Seen year round
at La Jaula
Critically endangered
Upside-down jellyfish
Seen year round
at Crocodile Mangroves
Dive sites
Pipin
caribbean reef shark · silky shark · goliath grouper · american crocodile
Black Coral 2
black coral colonies · tarpon · silky shark · nassau grouper
Crocodile Mangroves
american crocodile · schoolmaster snapper · upside-down jellyfish · caribbean reef shark
Bay of Pigs
barracuda · tarpon · eagle ray · cuban emerald
Cuba Jardines de la Reina
caribbean reef shark · silky shark · goliath grouper · caribbean reef shark
La Jaula
caribbean reef shark · nassau grouper · silky shark · gray snapper
What divers say
Caribbean reefs as they looked in 1950. Cuba's diving secret has been the embargo.
Good to know
US travelers
Check current US travel regulations to Cuba; rules have shifted multiple times.