Video of Cuba's Coral Reef Virtually Untouched!

[CaptiveReef]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhC1U8hj4Yk

This video shows Cuba's thriving reef, that has been untouched by man, It's incredible !!!!!

CaptiveReef :fish1:

 

[kenith]

Says could not load movie....

 

[elegance coral]

Thanks for sharing that video. It's nice to know that some of the Caribbean reefs are still healthy. I even saw some healthy looking elk horn coral!!!!!!

 

[poissonkimbo]

My younger brother went to Cuba two year ago with a university group to study the environmental policies of Cuba's economic development. The paper he wrote looked at the way that Cuba is protecting its mangroves from development. From what he found, Cuba is highly committed to protecting them. That has to be good news for its reefs! Hope it stays that way.

 

[sahin]

Beautiful. Thanks for posting. I've only dived (once) and have done snorkeling a few times in the Red Sea, but this area looks like full to the brime with life. I am glad it is a protected area and a fishing ban exists.

It is possible through education and conservation efforts to work with locals people and work out ways to earn a living which is sustainable.

 

[michaelr]

that reef looked amazing. at the same time it made me shudder because i realized just how bad every other reef is doing.

 

[doctorgori]

...and think about it: Florida, Jamaica, the Bahamas and other places used to look like that...
....just goes to show what enforcement and protection can do (in this case a totalitarian one, but hey)

 

[doggydoc]

Yes that looks beautiful...but at WHAT PRICE? Killing THOUSANDS of HUMANS who simply want to express their opinion? For almost 50 yrs a COMMUNIST DICTATOR has been 90 miles from OUR land. I do agree those reefs look great, very healthy and thriving....but please ask THIS question: Are the CUBAN people THRIVING? HEALTHY?

 

[atreis]

One can protect reefs without repressive regimes.

As for the Cuban people, relative to the average of other Caribbean nations they are better educated, healthier, and not poor. Thriving? That term is not precise, and therefore subject to the biases of the questioner. (e.g. they are not "thriving" in terms of political freedom, certainly, nor are they "thriving" economically, largely due to being locked out of the major market in this region (us), but in terms of education and access to affordable health care, yes, they are thriving relative to the average of other Caribbean nations.)

 

[doctorgori]

the mods are still sleeping, the politics talk will kill this thing (I've already earned one infract for even joking on the subject).....heck my bad for introducing the segway

point being, the demise of reef & "progress" isn't always an inevitable consequence of human habitation....

But thats about the best we can dance around the "results" and UA.... we still can admire what the Cubans have done here

 

[Khemul]

The politics question may be slightly linked. I'm not touching the one that was posted for various reasons. But I do wonder, if they are so well kept because of conservation or because of the limitations on trade and international relations.

 

[doggydoc]

One can protect reefs without repressive regimes.

As for the Cuban people, relative to the average of other Caribbean nations they are better educated, healthier, and not poor. Thriving? That term is not precise, and therefore subject to the biases of the questioner. (e.g. they are not "thriving" in terms of political freedom, certainly, nor are they "thriving" economically, largely due to being locked out of the major market in this region (us), but in terms of education and access to affordable health care, yes, they are thriving relative to the average of other Caribbean nations.)

SERIOUSLY?
What Caribbean are you speaking about?
BETTER EDUCATED?
Have you seen cubans crossing the straits nowadays? Educated they ARE NOT

HEALTHIER?
Sure no McDonalds, No BK, I give you that one

And NOT POOR?
COME ON MAN.
Average Cuban salary is about 200 pesos a month...Give and take 20 US dollars a month. Try living on .75 cents a day!!!!!
COME ONE MAN.
One thing is to speak about coral reefs and their protection, but please EDUCATE yourself on the CUBAN REALITY before you speak about everything else

 

[atreis]

The average Cuban is not the one crossing the straight. For the average salary to be a meaningful number, it has to be adjusted according to the local cost of living.

Nonetheless, the point still stands that one doesn't have to have a repressive regime in order to protect reefs. We can do it too, if we really want to.

Someone else also points out that it could be easier also due to the lack of US trade. I would also add the lack of US tourism to that.

 

[billsreef]

Got to keep the political discussion out

 

[SushiGirl]

My younger brother went to Cuba two year ago with a university group to study the environmental policies of Cuba's economic development. The paper he wrote looked at the way that Cuba is protecting its mangroves from development. From what he found, Cuba is highly committed to protecting them. That has to be good news for its reefs! Hope it stays that way.

We watched a documentary video of this very thing, wonder if it was the same group? The footage was amazing and they had fairly extensive discussions with conservationists there, including protecting both land and sea environments.

 

[CyclistMT]

When I snorkled in St. Thomas and St. John I was in awe because I was in the environment that some of the animals I keep in my tanks come from. I didn't want to get out of the water and I so enjoyed being in the natural habitat of these animals.

With that said, nothing I saw on that trip compared to the abundant life depicted in this segment. That Caribbean reef is absolutely astounding! The one disturbing thing was seeing the lion fish there. I've read about the scourge of lion fish up the Eastern seaboard and in the Caribbean but to see the reality on such a pristine reef certainly gives one pause.

What a fantasic segment 60 minutes did about this. Everyone on Reef Central should take the time to watch it.

 

[RubberFrog]

That was amazing.

 

[luisgo]

First I have to say that the reef looks great. Very good quality video. But I have seen many reef that are a lot better in terms of coral variety, colors and fish. There is no comparison of the reefs in the Caribbean with the reefs in the Red Sea and Australia. That reef in Cuba is very similar to the reefs in Mona island, west of Puerto Rico. The reason is that La Mona is 47 miles west of Puerto Rico and visits to the island are regulated by the government. A reef close to humans will suffer from the progress = pollution.

In Cuba there are almost no boats! all of them crossed to Miami with people looking for freedom! There are no cans in the sand at the beach because they don't have Coca Cola. No pollution because there are no manufacturing plants. Healthy Cubans? yes they have to walk because poor public transportation and no cars. They have a lot of time for sports because there are no jobs. Educated? yes there are no video games for kids to play, government regulated TV, etc.

Have you seen a reef tank here at RC from Cuba? jeje... No ebay or LFS for them. I live in Puerto Rico, was born in Cuba in 1956 and left the island when I was 3 years old, thanks to GOD!! They are very poor in Cuba compared to how we live in Puerto Rico.

 

[doggydoc]

First I have to say that the reef looks great. Very good quality video. But I have seen many reef that are a lot better in terms of coral variety, colors and fish. There is no comparison of the reefs in the Caribbean with the reefs in the Red Sea and Australia. That reef in Cuba is very similar to the reefs in Mona island, west of Puerto Rico. The reason is that La Mona is 47 miles west of Puerto Rico and visits to the island are regulated by the government. A reef close to humans will suffer from the progress = pollution.

In Cuba there are almost no boats! all of them crossed to Miami with people looking for freedom! There are no cans in the sand at the beach because they don't have Coca Cola. No pollution because there are no manufacturing plants. Healthy Cubans? yes they have to walk because poor public transportation and no cars. They have a lot of time for sports because there are no jobs. Educated? yes there are no video games for kids to play, government regulated TV, etc.

Have you seen a reef tank here at RC from Cuba? jeje... No ebay or LFS for them. I live in Puerto Rico, was born in Cuba in 1956 and left the island when I was 3 years old, thanks to GOD!! They are very poor in Cuba compared to how we live in Puerto Rico.

Well said Luisgo. Gracias por corroborar mi punto...
And then very soon communism will be accepted in the USA

You want to see great reefs, go to La Mona!!!!!

 

[aquavista99]

The Gardens of the Queen looks absolutely amazing. Those reef sharks were huge. Only 1,000 lucky divers per year are allowed to visit. I suspect not to many are from the United States....nonetheless, it is good to see such a thriving reef in the Caribbean. Back in 2007, I visited Dry Tortugas, which is about 30 miles North of Cuba.....it was nice, but not as nice as the Gardens of the Queen.