Action in Cuba

[JJ Rousseau]

Nice stuff Phillipe!

It makes me want to go there again. Been there 3 times, but never really been able to find a way to go out, so I mostly dove on reefs close to shore (not a lot of fish, and very spooky!) Even at 30 meters, not a lot of life in some places...

[virgili]

Been there 3 times, but never really been able to find a way to go out, so I mostly dove on reefs close to shore (not a lot of fish, and very spooky!) Even at 30 meters, not a lot of life in some places...

I have been there about 15 times and never weary of being there... despite the fact that things are there often complicated. To get a "sportfishing boat" is an headache and impossible to do if you do not to get right connections.
Several places are outfished++. So you have to stay on some isolated spots ( wich are to far for the cuban population / spearo amateurs).
Years ago, I did my first steps with cuban colleagues by using small catamarans... and we got sometime a lot of problem with cuban coastguards, on the North Coast (in front of Forida) in particular. Since 4 years I have been prefering to stay in the South East, were the surveillance is more "cool".
I gave up trying to understand how cuban spearfishing legislation work. Spearing should be officially not allowed to non-cuban... but never had problemo. During my last trip, I was told that it has been tightened.?? So we did the things more discreetly.
After so many stays, I could during the last trip finally freedive 2 days in the blue water... and probably not any cuban spearo did that. The boat Cpt did'nt know were to go!!... so we have to explore the area looking for interesting spots (not any marine map aboard). But unfortunally and given the hurricane coming, we had to consider blue water of secondary importance.
Thank's again to my colleagues José, Luis... and the others: they allow me to share unforgettable sf. experiences!

[virgili]

2 footages taken before I have to leave because of the hurricane:
http://www.spearfishingmotion.com/vi...current_page=1
http://www.spearfishingmotion.com/vi...current_page=1

[virgili]

Did again a short stay there and some dives with one of my buddies.
you can see on a pic an home made pneumatic gun" bullera" wich is used by my friend Jose...
Over 70ft depht hunting most of the time, usually take a couple of 120cm euro equiped with 140 R Allen shafts, more problems with bull sharks offshore than inshore there.

[theappe]

good footage man.

[virgili]

a nice cubera snapper/ "cuban dog snapper taken during an other trip.
captures made during about 2 hours diving (with my colleague): we usually have to boat a long time until we get 80 /120 ft depht because of the coral reef.
a snapper...

[bayboy]

that mackeral shot is amazing

[virgili]

Back to The South West coast of the island in the Archipelago de los Canarreos (Cuba is not an island but an archipelago made of sevral thousands islands and most of them are uninhabited. By boating you can find there several amazing desert keys...
Took as usualy only 2 guns 120cm (Picasso/ Omer) and 4 R.Allen 7mm shafts.
I have been using to hunt there along the coral reef boundary where it drops to 70 / 100 feet depth or more. During my stay the visi was excellent but the weather all the time instable/ windy because of a cold front . A too rough sea to head on to the offshore but the tuna season will begin on April .
Guided by Pablo a well experienced Cpt we explored our secret spots. Unfortunaly my best colleague and friend "El Chino" arrived the last day from La Habana. So I did solo hunting 6 to 8h per day.

(Atlantic) Cubera/ cuban snapper is a mythical fish there. One of the most clever/ distrussfull Atlantic fish. A strong fighter you have better to release if you'r not certain to secure the capture. No detachable spearhead on the shafts made the challenge exciting. Cubera is a wellknown rare/ deep hunting capture. (This rare fish is sold about 25$ per lb on the Habana black market = 1 month minimum wage!!)
The problem with clear water is that this fish spots you first and sometimes before you dive. So you have to be pretty discret while swimming down very slowly to the depth and while lying in ambush (espera). Sometimes you can feel instinctively a presence in your back: the cubera coming from nowhere is observing you and probably estimating what kind of fish is visiting its territory. Trying to follow this fish is a time/ energy wasted and stress the fish. While stayng still on the bottom the cubera come sometimes by chance closer to you: a pretty short encounter ("solamente uno secundo" use to say my cuban colleagues) then it takes off: the only and last opportunity to shoot the prey.
In my modest opininion you have better to avoid shooting a cubera hidden in a small cave, unless you stun/ kill the fish. If you take a chance the best way is in by hitting about 2 to 3cm under the first caudalfin of the fish, so that the shaft breakes the spine: the fish get paralysed and KO.
I remembered the long and exhausting fight made by R Yazbeck with a nice pacific cubera:
http://www.spearfishingmotion.com/vi...current_page=1
I caught on the same day dive day 4 cubera from 10 to 55lb...
Did a double by landing the greatest cubera and a shark sucker sticked to its body... I released.
Lindo dias!

[virgili]

Some pics of selective captures made on the other days: pargo and hogfish.
Bull and reef sharks seemed to be there more shy than cuda...
Lindo dias!

[LunkerBuster]

awesome, thanks for the update and sharing those great pics

[spearo #uno]

I sure hope you gave some of that cuban stuff to the locals there..under Castro there is not much of anything including food to eat in the island but then you really can't tell if you're in the enclosure of a beach resort.

[ForrestG]

very cool pics.

[virgili]

I sure hope you gave some of that cuban stuff to the locals there..

Thank,s for your feedback!
Yes I have been using to give all the captures to my collegues, shared with their families in order to improve the everyday fare. People is scraping hard each day to survive by sorting things out themselves. I can observe each time I stay there a worsening lack of everything.
Despite the fact that spearfish in Cuba is to harken back to another time, my cuban colleagues perform amazing under water feats.
This means for me and for us to cope everyday with 3 cuban basic sayings: " It's impossible! There is nothing left! It's not allowed! "

I'm wondering if at the time E. Hemingway travelled on his yacht "Pilar" with his cuban mate Gregorio Funtes he could imagine how the G. Orwell novel "1984" is become a reality there:
I had the opportunity to navigate on "Google Cuba" on a cuban computer...
you write: spearfishing or caçasub....7 results ( usually: 694,000 )...
Miami: 10 results... etc
censorship...

[virgili]

Ernesto

[virgili]

Back to my favorite spots! But a windy week there with a cold front made unfortunaly BWH impossible to organize. So I have been focusing on "cuban snapper" hunting beyond the reef bareer. As usually a pretty distrusfull/ deep/ clever fish wich need a several hours daily chasing... but that is worth the sorrow. Found on a deserted reef a amazing iguana colony coming from nowhere. Was told they can dive and hunt the fish as well as the Galapagos iguana.
Pics of cubera captures and iguana.