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Scuba Diving in Cuba, Caribbean
Dive Site: El Patio de Vanesa (Vanesa's Patio)
Location: Maria la Gorda, Cuba
Description: Reef / drift
Depth: 15 metres max (50 feet)
Visibility: 15 metres (50 feet)
Rating: ***
Not that good a dive, probably because I have become used to seeing such wonderful reefs filled with spectacular fish. Above water the sun was hidden by clouds so the quality of light on the reef was not as good as usual. The dive plan was to swim into the current for two thirds of the dive and then drift back to the boat for the final third. The current was not so strong that you couldn't swim against it, but it was fairly hard work. There were also a couple of really big gouges in the reef where the anchor from the dive boat had dragged through it. It is such a pity that they do not set up permanent moorings to prevent this sort of damage, or not moor the boats up at all as the vis is good enough and the waves small enough to not have to worry about not being able to spot the boat on surfacing. Other than all the usual suspects there was a sizeable lobster in a rocky crevice. The fact we'd done the best dive I did at Maria la Gorda that morning (El Paraiso Perdido) probably helped to make this reef seem a little lame. If it had been my first dive I would have probably enjoyed it immensely.
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