Cuba’s undersea world is fascinating. At eighteen dive sites, naturalist and eco-tourists from around the world plunge into some of the least-disturbed coral reef on the planet. More than 500 species of fish have been recorded, among them sharks, moray eels, and barracudas. In addition to these well-known creatures of the ocean, countless others spend their lives in the coral between the living sponges and the fronds of seaweeds.

Most of the diving areas are in the four island regions. In addition to deep holes in the old limestone seabed, there are undersea caves and even wrecked ships that date from colonial times.

The Island of Youth has many diving areas, but perhaps the most famous in all Cuba is Playa Maria la Gorda. The site is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve because of the great diversity of its plants.