November 2009 - Mission Blue

Monthly Archives: November 2009

Cuba: Jardines de la Reina Marine Nature Park

Jardines de la Reina, or the Queen’s Gardens, is the biggest Marine Nature Park in the Caribbean. It was named by Christopher Columbus for Queen Isabel of Spain and is located about 50 miles south of the mainland of Cuba; 80 miles north of Cayman Brace, in the middle of a 150 mile long mangrove and coral island system. This system forms what some people say is the third largest barrier reef in the world. Jardines de la Reina covers about 2,200 sq kilometers of ocean habitat, which means there is no commercial fishing in this area and the number of inhabitants is zero.
One of the most amazing things about this park is that it sees no more than 400 divers a year!…

Posted in Cuba, deep search, Marine Protection, Shark, sylvia earle |

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Cuba: Gran Parque Natural Peninsula de Zapata

The Peninsula de Zapata is a remote, sparsely populated area of Cuba with a varied landscape. This image is of the road leading into the reserve. Much of the region is a large low lying swampy area not suitable for human habitation called the Cienaga de Zapata; but, it is a great habitat for wildlife. It’s one of the largest reserves in Cuba and an important area for migrating birds. We saw egrets, flamingos, herons, spoonbills and dozens of smaller bird species.This image is of one of the many smaller bird species at the reserve. The Cienega de Zapata, or the Zapata Swamp as it is affectionately known, is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, home to approximately 150 different species of birds, including rare baldicoots, waterhens, parrots, and heron.…

Posted in Cuba, Cuba 4 |

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