Tortuga

Boat

Tortuga is a massive, steel houseboat that is permanently secured in a small, protected channel, so that it never moves, regardless of bad weather or wind. It is extremely stable and level at all times so there is never any chance of guests getting seasick.

It was completely renewed in 2008 and 2015 to ensure guest's comfort, each time cost about 1.5 million USD. It's perfect for guests who will easily suffer from seasick.

On the main deck, there is a large air-conditioned dining room along with a foredeck and afterdeck, with chairs and tables, perfect for relaxing and taking the sun after a diving day. The foredeck is a very nice place to enjoy our pizza appetizer and drink cocktails or smoke Cuban cigars before dinner.

Electricity on board is supplied by generators located nearby and it is available twenty-four hours a day. There are many outlets on board that provide both 110 and 220V.

Tortuga have a satellite Internet service with Wi-Fi, making communications with the outside world easy and free for our guests. All you need is wireless capability with your laptop or other devices.

Dining on board combines the style of the best Continental Italian cuisine with delicious seafood and traditional Cuban favorites like rice and beans, black bean soup and fried bananas. Lobster is our specialty and is served in a variety of ways. For those who like something different, chicken, pork and beef are also available. Salads and different fruits are served in every meal. Desserts feature our famous Cuban caramel custard, rhum-flavored cakes, cookies, puddings, pies and many others. Vegetarian and kosher meals are served on request with many different choices available.

Onboard beverages available are: Bottled mineral water, sparkling and tonic water, various soft drinks, juices, beers, rums, whisky and excellent wines (6 beverages/day are included in the package).

Divers booked on Tortuga will make the 2.5 hours speed boat transfer to dive in the Gardens of the Queen every day.

Cabin

Tortuga has 8 comfortable guest cabins, can accommodate 18 guests on board :

All cabins featuring en-suite bathroom, air-conditioners, comfortable beds, electricity plugs, and ample storage space.

2 Quad Cabins：
Located on the upper deck, each cabin comes with 4 single beds in bunk style, port window.

5 Triple Cabins：
Located on the upper deck, each cabin comes with 3 single beds (2 of them are in bunk style), port window.

1 Double Cabins：
Located on the main deck, comes with a king size double bed, port window.

Diving

• 3 dives per day, depending on conditions and program.

• Only 2 dives will be provided on the last diving day.

• No dive provided on the day of arrival and departure.

• All diving will provide experienced guide to lead the dive.

Other Informations

• Nitrox：Not available at the moment
• REBREATHER Dive：Not available at the moment
• Dive Equipment Rental：Available, rate on request
• Dive insurance：Divers must have valid dive insurance
• Wi-Fi Internet ：Available free of charge for guests
• Laundry Service：Available with additional charge
• Massage Service：Not available at the moment
• Payment on board：By cash (USD/Euro/CUC)
• Crew Number：8, including 2 dive guides

Gardens of the Queen 8D/7N

Duration :
From Saturday to Saturday for 8D/7N each week.

Airport :
If possile, please fly to the minor airports, like Santa Clara, Camaguey, Cayo Coco. Where the group transfer will be included. If guests arrive in Havana / Jucaro, there will be extra transfer surcharge.

Daily routine onboard
The day begins with a wakeup call at 7:00 am, coffee/tea ready, breakfast at 7:15 am. Our diving instructors are ready to go diving from 8:00 am. Fast diving boats are used to reach diving spots having the opportunity to explore different sites each day and enjoy the view of mangrove channels, virgin beaches, birds and other exuberant fauna during the trips.

During the dive briefings, our experienced instructors will explain every detail of the dive, from what will be seen in a particular spot to the correct behavior while diving with sharks or highlights of the area and special characteristics of the marine life present. After the first dive, surface interval in one of the beautiful beaches. Second dive and, at midday, boats will return for lunch, the thrid dive will be done in the afternoon. And if possible, we will make a night dive or sunset dive.

Together with the instructor, arrange time for afternoon dives or for excursions through the lagoon and mangrove channels. Coming back to the live aboard, it is time to drink a frozen “mojito”, enjoy the afternoon pizza and talk about the dives. Around 8:00 pm, dinner is served and, like a family, everyone gets together around the table. Evening time next to the bar, to watch photos and videos while breathing the sea atmosphere, it’s time to plan with the instructors what will happen next day.

Dive Sites

There are more than 80 dive sites in the Gardens of the Queen, and yet more to be discovered, all dive sites are well protected from wind and marine currents. Here are some of the most prominent dive sites are detailed hereunder :

Pipín : It's a drop-off wall dive with many coral canyons, resident school of silky sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, many jacks, silver tarpons in groups of 10-50, eagle rays, sometimes a lonely three-meter-long great hammerhead coming up from the deep to take a quick look at the divers and then disappearing into the blue. Around the coral canyons, there are always 10-12 silky sharks keep swimming close to the surface near the boat.

Farallón : This is one of the best dives in Jardines de la Reina. It's a giant coral mountain 17 meters deep at the top and divided into four parts by tunnels that run across and end at a white sandy bottom of 29 meters. These tunnels are about 30 m long, 3 m wide and 10 m high, with an opening at the top that allows the sunlight to pour through, creating a spectacular show of light and shapes, giving the diver the feeling of flying across another world. Same species as in Pipín plus the reef shark swimming close to the bottom.

Vicente : Dive along the drop-off, with coral mountains at the edge descending from 20 m. to 40 m. and then to the abyss (800 m). You can find massive black coral colonies in the wall, large groupers, Caribbean and silky sharks. The mysterious and shy great hammerhead shark sometimes emerges from the blue to show its incredible body shape and elegance.

Black Coral I and II : These two dives are the most exciting! Minimum depth is 24 meters on top of the reef, then a sandy bottom at 30 m. Channels run across the reef perpendicular to the coast, until they reach the drop-off; at this place, there is a resident population of more than 30 reef sharks that get very close to the divers. On the sandy channels there are sleeping stingrays, parrotfish, big black groupers and tons of jacks.

Avalon : Frontal edge of the reef wall, full of big black coral colonies, and depth gorgonians, groupers, silky and Caribbean reef sharks, massive iridescent sponges, is a very colorful wall, eagle rays are seen here very often, also goliath groupers, hammerhead occasionally. Some impressive canyons in the deeper areas of the wall.

Crocodiles Snorkel : There is an area back in the mangroves where dive operators over many years have developed a relationship with a few resident American crocodiles. Less aggressive than the infamous Nile and Australian crocodiles, American crocodiles are normally shy, but not in the Gardens of the Queen.

This is an absolutely magic environment of clear water (at high tide anyway), with abundant seagrass below and mangrove forest above. If an over/under photo with a crocodile is on your wish list, there may be no better place on the planet to get one.