La Jaula I - Jardines de la Reina
La Jaula I in Jardines de la Reina is a solid site for seeing Caribbean reef sharks cruising the deeper water. We often find nurse sharks resting under ledges here too, particularly in the morning before other boats arrive. It’s a good spot for newer divers to get comfortable with bigger pelagics in a generally gentle environment. Visibility stays consistently good.
- Location
- Jardines de la Reina, Cuba, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 22.583027, -78.521430
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 10-25m
Marine Protected Area: Centro y Oeste de Cayo Coco
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
- Farallón - 15-40m (pinnacle)
- Guardalavaca - 23m
- Jardines de la Reina (wall)
- Jardines de la Reina (reef)
- La Angelica
- Labanderas Reef (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to La Jaula I
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 La Jaula I
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