Lady G'Diver - Jardines de la Reina
Lady G'Diver is one of those sites where you know you’re somewhere special the moment you drop in. We’ve always loved how the reef here just *feels* alive. You’re immediately surrounded by these huge schools of jacks, sometimes so thick they’re like a silver curtain. It’s a site that really shows off the health of Jardines de la Reina. We’ve found the best approach is to take it slow. Spend some time scanning the coral heads for smaller critters; we often spot chain morays tucked away and the redlip blennies are always a treat. The amount of porcupinefish here is genuinely impressive, always a few hovering around. It’s a relaxed drift, generally, making it a good choice for divers who want to just soak it all in without battling a current. We'd suggest getting there early to catch the jacks really active, before boat traffic picks up.
- Location
- Jardines de la Reina, Cuba, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 18.181356, -76.452930
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 Lady G'Diver
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 Lady G'Diver
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