Farallón - Jardines de la Reina
Farallón, or ‘The Cliff’ as we know it, is a big coral mountain that feels a bit like diving a submerged plateau in Jardines de la Reina. You drop onto the top at around 15 metres, and then the sand slopes away to a deeper 30 metres. It’s an interesting spot, particularly for those who like to hang out and see what swims past. We've seen some impressive schools of grunts and jacks here, often so thick they make you feel small. Tarpons are regulars, too, and we often spot Caribbean reef sharks making lazy passes. Sometimes, if you're lucky, a silky shark will cruise by in the blue. It’s a good, solid dive that rewards patience, often best done when you can dedicate some time to just observing the reef action.
- Location
- Jardines de la Reina, Cuba, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 20.800000, -78.910000
- Type
- pinnacle
- Maximum Depth
- 15-40m
Marine Protected Area: Jardines de la Reina
Best Time to Dive in Jardines de la Reina
The warmest water temperatures in Jardines de la Reina occur in September, averaging 30.4°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 27.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.5°C
- February: 27.1°C
- March: 27.1°C
- April: 27.8°C
- May: 28.8°C
- June: 29.2°C
- July: 29.8°C
- August: 30.2°C
- September: 30.4°C
- October: 29.9°C
- November: 29.2°C
- December: 28.3°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Jardines de la Reina
- Black Coral I and II (reef)
- Bucanero
- Cabeza de la Cubera
- Canto Chiquiton
- Cayo Felipe el Grande
- Club Náutico
- Cuba Diving in the Jardines de la Reina - ‘Garden of Eden’ (reef)
- Diamond Point (reef)
- El Acuario I
- Guardalavaca - 23m
- Jardines de la Reina (wall)
- Jardines de la Reina (reef)
- La Angelica
- Labanderas Reef (reef)
- La Borgonia - 10-25m (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Farallón
Marine Life in Jardines de la Reina
Home to 492 recorded species including 404 reef fish, 34 hard corals, 10 whales & dolphins, 10 sharks & rays, 8 other, 6 sea snails & nudibranchs.
Notable Species
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) - Hard Corals
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- Greenblotch Parrotfish (Sparisoma atomarium) - Reef Fish
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Coney (Cephalopholis fulva) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Doctorfish (Acanthurus chirurgus) - Reef Fish
- Yellowtail Parrotfish (Sparisoma rubripinne) - Reef Fish
- turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum) - Seagrass & Algae
Recommended Packing List for Farallón
Based on average water temperature of 28.8°C, currents 16 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories