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Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Jardines de la Reina location page.
Overview
Jardines de la Reina, or Gardens of the Queen, is a protected marine park off the southern coast of Cuba. This pristine archipelago offers vibrant coral reefs, dramatic wall dives, and consistent encounters with resident Caribbean reef sharks and silvertip sharks. Known for its healthy ecosystem, divers can observe large groupers, schooling snappers, and a rich diversity of marine life in clear, warm waters.
Briefing note
Access to Jardines de la Reina is restricted to liveaboard operations with special permits. Fishing is strictly prohibited.
What you'll see
3 species curated- year-roundCaribbean reef sharkPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundSilky sharkPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundGoliath grouperPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
Reef data for this area
Jurisdiction-level snapshotsBenthic snapshot — AGRRA
Cuba — Jardines de la Reina (AGRRA)
Current mean coral cover
30.5%in 2018
Earlier survey
32%in 2012
↓ -1.5 pts
AGRRA Caribbean benthic transects in Jardines de la Reina National Park. Jardines de la Reina is one of the best-protected reef systems in the Caribbean; cover is consistently high in the AGRRA record.
Reported at the jurisdictionscale, not the dive site — the published surveys don’t resolve a single reef. AGRRA Cuba country summary →
Sightings evidence
3 records on file- high confidenceCaribbean reef shark
- Last confirmed
- May 2024
- Recent records
- 50 within 25 km
- Cluster months
- Year-round
- high confidenceSilky shark
- Last confirmed
- May 2024
- Recent records
- 50 within 25 km
- Cluster months
- Year-round
- high confidenceGoliath grouper
- Last confirmed
- May 2024
- Recent records
- 50 within 25 km
- Cluster months
- Year-round
Sources & methodology
How we summarise this
We aggregate confirmed occurrence records from GBIF and OBIS within a fixed radius of each dive site. Occurrence records confirm presence and reveal seasonality clustering, but they DO NOT measure per-dive probability — there is no eligible-effort denominator. We deliberately do not publish a numeric '% chance of sighting' from this data.
Sources
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility — GBIF Secretariat
- Ocean Biodiversity Information System — IOC-UNESCO
- OBIS-SEAMAP — Duke University Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab / OBIS
- iNaturalist — California Academy of Sciences & National Geographic Society
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — International Union for Conservation of Nature
- WoRMS — World Register of Marine Species — Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
- FishBase — FishBase Consortium
- Atlas of Living Australia — CSIRO / GBIF Australia
- REEF Volunteer Fish Survey — Reef Environmental Education Foundation
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26–28 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Feb | 26–28 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Mar | 26–28 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Apr | 27–29 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| May | 27–29 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Jun | 28–29 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Jul | 28–29 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Aug | 28–29 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Sep | 28–29 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Oct | 27–29 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Nov | 27–29 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Dec | 26–28 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
Season calendar
Next step
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