Explore Maria la Gorda
María la Gorda is a tiny settlement located on the southwest coast of Cuba, which consists of only one hotel, a diving center, two restaurants, and a small shop, all on a beautiful sandy beach. This is definitely a 'getaway' destination with the main focus being snorkeling or diving. The dive sites range in depth from 6 to 40 meters/20 to 131 feet and are all located within a short speedboat ride from shore. There are around 50 dive sites here, so there's enough to explore! Due to María la Gorda being located in the UNESCO Natural Biosphere Reserve—Great Natural Park Guanahacabibes, the marine flora and fauna are in pristine condition, only highlighted by the clear, warm waters.
Dive Activity
Diving in Maria la Gorda
The types of diving to be done here are very much centered around the different rock topography. There are multiple thrilling steep coral walls, vibrant shallow reef plateaus, crevices, canyons, pinnacles, boulders, a large cave and more. There is even a dive site which harbours a beautiful historical anchor. There are many dive sites here which cater perfectly to dive courses, night dives and for underwater photographers to capture the underwater beauty.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Maria la Gorda
There is a plethora of marine life here, all of which are attracted to the thriving coral reefs. The reefs here are made up of coral species such as Lettuce Coral, Flower Coral, Gorgonians, Leaf Coral, Brain Coral and the stunning Black Corals. Some other flora includes Barrel Sponges, Sea Fans, Tubular Sponges and Sea Whips. marine fauna attracted to this include Groupers, Snappers, Angelfish, Sea Bass, Jacks, Wrasse, different species of Crustaceans, large Tarpon and so much more! One of the large species which has been spotted here is the graceful Whaleshark.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 27
iStock-Global_Pics
82 Sightings
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6
F
8
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6
A
19
M
3
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5
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10
A
11
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1
O
0
N
13
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0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 600
iStock/ultramarinfoto
Wrasse
47 Sightings
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8
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0
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35
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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4
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0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
23 Sightings
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6
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0
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4
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0
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6
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3
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0
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4
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0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 12
iStock/cinoby
Lionfish
90 Sightings
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12
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9
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0
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36
M
0
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5
J
10
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5
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0
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0
N
11
D
2
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 100
iStock-burnsboxco
Parrotfish
89 Sightings
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10
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6
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8
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40
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3
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5
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4
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4
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0
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9
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0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 350
Alamy-Andre Seal
Damselfish
69 Sightings
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10
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4
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8
A
38
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0
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0
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0
A
3
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0
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0
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6
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0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 150
Shutterstock-aquapix
Sweetlips and Grunts
65 Sightings
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8
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4
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9
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40
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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4
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 90
Shutterstock-Rich Carey
Angelfish
57 Sightings
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9
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5
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8
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18
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0
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3
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5
A
0
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0
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N
9
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0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 40
iStock-wrangel
Triggerfish
56 Sightings
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7
F
0
M
8
A
37
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
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0
O
0
N
4
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0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 85
iStock-mirecca
Surgeonfish
45 Sightings
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7
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0
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0
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18
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0
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5
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4
A
0
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0
O
0
N
11
D
0
The best Months to dive in Maria la Gorda
One of the best features of diving here is the incredibly clear water. The visibility here ranges between 20 meters/66 feet and 40 meters/131 feet on average. Between November and April is the dry season, which is also the time of the year with the best, calmest, and warmest water conditions. The average water temperature here is 25°C/77°F, with it ranging between 23°C/73°F and 29°C/84°F throughout the year.
