Scuba Diving in Wrecks of the Hispanic - Cuban and North American War of 1898. "ADMIRAL OQUENDO BATTLESHIP CRUISE".

Scuba Diving in Wrecks of the Hispanic - Cuban and North American War of 1898. "ADMIRAL OQUENDO BATTLESHIP CRUISE".

“Archaeological Park of the Natural and Cultural Underwater Heritage Battle of Santiago de Cuba”. Declared a National Monument in 2015.

General description:

It consists of seven archaeological sites (Playa Siboney, Las Cuatro Bocas, Playa Mar Verde, Rancho Cruz - Buey Cabón, Ensenada de Juan González, Aserradero and Playa La Mula), whose environmental and archaeological characteristics differ from one site to another due to the very demarcation of the sites along the southeastern coastal strip of the province of Santiago de Cuba. It covers a territorial extension of some 64,824 nautical miles, equivalent to some 120,051 km along the coast from Siboney beach, belonging to the municipality of Santiago de Cuba, to "La Mula" beach, referring to the municipality of Guamá.

The area of the coastal strip in the southeastern part of the province of Santiago de Cuba was the scene of one of the most transcendental naval events in the history of humanity. The bloody and uneven Naval Battle, which culminated in the sinking of the fleet of Vice Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete, put an end to Spanish colonial rule in America, and with this gave way to the rise of the most powerful empire in the history of mankind, the United States of America.

The vestiges of that naval crusade make up what is currently known as the Underwater Archaeological Park "Naval Battle of Santiago de Cuba". This is made up of seven archaeological sites where the wrecks linked to the landing and the naval conflict lie, as well as all those material evidences belonging to the ships that are related in one way or another to the events, such as: masts, masts, remains of the rigging of the mastheads, ironwork, parts of the artillery sites, thick and medium caliber projectiles, flushes, balusters and mechanisms of the propulsion system. Similarly, among the remains that lie on the seabed, in more than a century of rest and biological activity, special ecosystems have been articulated where the sessile fauna and marine flora have merged with the wrecks in a symbiotic entity that protects them mutually.

For many years these sites have been of special attraction for researchers, archaeologists, divers and tourists in general, justified not only by the transcendental historical value of the famous Battle of the Sea, but because it is a real privilege to enjoy today the dives in these wrecks located in an environment of spectacular beauty, in which the Sierra Maestra mountain range bursts into the Caribbean in an abrupt and irregular manner, cut by canyons and riverbeds and estuaries that extend into pebble-covered deltas and low-lying areas, forming mangrove-covered wetlands under the shelter of virgin inlets and coves: ecosystems that support incredible biological diversity.

It is a privilege to learn about history through these wrecks, exceptional witnesses to the events of the Naval War of 1898, and to decipher the language they bequeath us, a treasure of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, which preserves the right of future generations to enter a transcendent page of universal history.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE: "JUAN GONZALEZ COVE". Wreck: Battleship Cruiser "Almirante Oquendo".

• Site: Juan González beach, west of the city of Santiago de Cuba.
• Municipality: Guamá.
• The Battleship Cruiser "Almirante Oquendo" is located in the Juan Gonzalez cove about 100 meters from the shore and at a depth between 4 and 13 meters. From the coast, part of the turret of a González Hontoria cannon, which emerges on the surface of the water, is visible.

Historical antecedents:

• The armored cruiser, Almirante Oquendo, is of the Infanta María Teresa type, as is the Vizcaya. These ships, catalogued as first class protected cruisers, were also catalogued as armoured cruisers. Excellent in their design, but with a significant vulnerability in the superstructure, especially due to the secular delay of the Spanish naval industry at that time.

• As part of Admiral Cervera's squadron, the Oquendo sailed to the Caribbean. During the July 3 battle in Santiago, the Oquendo was the fourth ship to leave, being promptly damaged by rapid artillery from the battleship USS Iowa BB-4. It took 43 hits from the Iowa's 57 mm guns, killing or wounding most of the sailors on the upper decks.

• The Oquendo was also hit by the heaviest guns in the US fleet, including three 203 mm (8 inch) hits, one 152 mm (6 inch) hit, one 127 mm (5 inch) hit and 102 mm (4 inch) hits.

• Their commander, Captain Lazaga, mortally wounded, flooded the storerooms. The cruise ship sank at about 10:30 a.m., about 700 m (less than half a mile) from the Cuban shore, 12.6 km from Santiago. Some 80 men died in the battle.

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SHIP "Admiral Oquendo":

• Name of the wreck: "Admiral Oquendo".
• Class: "Infanta Maria Teresa".
• Type of vessel: 1st class battleship cruise.
• Flag: Spain.
• Date of commissioning: 16 November 1889.
• Shipyard: Sociedad Astilleros del Nervión, Sestao - Spain.
• Launch date: 3 October 1891.
• Commander: Captain Juan Bautista Lazaga y Garay.
• Crew members: 497 men.
• Length: 110.9 metres.
• Beam: 19.9 meters.
• Strut: 11.58 meters.
• Draft: 6.6 meters.
• Displacement: 6,890 tons.
• Maximum speed: 20.25 knots.
• Range at low power: 9,700 miles (nautical).
• Type of bow: Lower half-bulb launch.
• Decks: Steel and wood.
• Rudder: Aft, spade outside the transom with shaft running to deck, driven by a servo motor.
• Shielding: Armored belt 305-254 mm.
• Shielding: Deck 76-52 mm.
• Barbets: 229 mm.
• Type of machinery: Triple vertical expansion steam engine.
• Type of feeding: Mineral coal - 1050 tons.
• Power : 13 700 CV.
• Boilers : 3 units.
• Propulsion : 2 propellers.
• Masts: 2 masts.
• Large caliber artillery: 2 "Hontoria" 280 mm guns in bow and stern towers.
• Rapid fire artillery: 10 x 140 mm "Hontoria" guns. Behind mantelets (rapid fire) 8 Nordenfelt 57 mm guns (rapid fire).
• Medium calibre artillery: 2 "Hontoria" 70 mm simultaneously loaded guns Hotchkis 37 mm revolvers: 8 pieces.
• Maxims" machine guns: 2 pieces.
• Torpedo launchers: 8 tubes with 365 mm torpedo launchers.

Diving services included:

• Basic diving equipment,
• Compressed air tank.
• Leaded belt.
• Assistance of a guide instructor with international certificate, who will make an informative briefing of the immersion to be done.
• Boat that takes them from the diving center to the diving points (In principle the dives leaving from Punta Gorda Marina will be done by diving boat).

The service includes:

• Diving equipment, air tank, belt with weights, the assistance of an internationally certified instructor guide, who will do a briefing of dive to be made, and the use of the boat that leads from the dive center to dive sites.
• Professional diving instructor service for every 6 diving clients.

Not included:

• Transfer service to and from the hotels to the Marina Marlin Santiago de Cuba.
• Tips.

Very important notes:

• All clients must be over 12 years old (between 12 and 18 accompanied by a guardian), present their diving certification and valid passport.

LIABILITY WAIVER AND EXPRESS ASSUMPTION OF RISKS FOR THE PRACTICE OF DIVING BY THE CLIENT:

• Clients must sign a liability waiver to be able to practice diving activities in Marinas Marlin dive centers where among other points:
• The CLIENT acknowledges that snorkeling, freediving and scuba diving are potentially hazardous activities that carry a risk of serious injury and/or death and/or property damage and agree to assume all risks associated therewith.
• The CLIENT acknowledges that compressed air diving carries some inherent risks: decompression sickness, embolism or other hyperbaric injuries requiring treatment in a hyperbaric chamber may occur and that the CLIENT expressly assumes all such risks.
• The CLIENT must comply with the ship's safety guidelines and diving safety guidelines, in addition to complying with local regulations and legislation.
• The CLIENT agrees and certifies that he/she is fully aware of and expressly assumes all such risks and all other risks involved in conducting such boat trip, shore excursions and dives, conducted as leisure dives or as part of a dive class.
• The CLIENT agrees that they are in good physical and mental health for diving, that they do not suffer from any medical condition contraindicated for diving, that they will not dive under the influence of alcohol, nor under the influence of any drug contraindicated for diving. In case of taking any medication, the CLIENT declares that he/she has consulted a doctor and has the authorization to dive in the conditions of this activity while under the influence of the medication/drug.
• The CLIENT must declare: That ___ yes/no ___ has a personal insurance policy (covering the diving activity). If yes, he/she must specify which company is contracted and the policy number.
• The CLIENT declares that he/she releases the dive center from responsibility for any incident that may occur to the client, without being attributable to the dive center or its auxiliary staff. The CLIENT declares that he has been duly informed by the dive center staff and is fully aware of the risks of accidents involved in diving activities, which he assumes full responsibility and declares that if he or anyone, including his heirs or representatives, should be affected, they will not establish any claim against the dive center, its officers, instructors or employees, nor against the AGENCY.

Marina Marlin Punta Gorda Dive Center

• The Dive Center serves the Santiago de Cuba city hotels.
• Departure capacity by 10 Pax.
• Frequency: 2 daily departures.

Difficulty degree: Medium.

Distance to cover in the tour (Roundtrip): 30 km approximately.

Approximate tour duration (total): 2 – 3 hours approximately.

Very important note: It is mandatory for clients to present their official diving certification.

Very important note: For safety reasons and protection of underwater heritage, customers may never directly touch the wreckage of a shipwreck and must strictly follow the instructions given by the diving instructors.