Scuba Diving in Wrecks of the Hispanic - Cuban and North American War of 1898. "DESTROYER PLUTON".

Scuba Diving in Wrecks of the Hispanic - Cuban and North American War of 1898. "DESTROYER PLUTON".

“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: Destroyer "Pluton".

• Site: Poblado Buey Cabón, west of the city of Santiago de Cuba.
• Municipality: Santiago de Cuba.
• The wreck "Pluton", is located very close to the coast, easily identifiable from the shore by the number of fragments that the sea has deposited on the steep edge of the reef, where he would be beaten down by enemy fire. His remains are widely scattered throughout the area that makes up the archaeological site, at a depth between 2 and 6 meters. The site where he would run aground on July 3, 1898 is an irregular stretch of dog-tooth coastline, about 800 meters, between the cove of Rancho Cruz to the east and that of Buey Cabón to the west, opening to the southern Caribbean.

Historical antecedents:

• The "Pluton" was built, together with its twin brother "Furor", at the Clydebank Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. shipyard in the UK. It was put on scaffolding on February 12, 1897 and launched into the water in April of that same year. Seven months later, on November 4, 1897, the machinery, armament, and war arsenal were completed.

• In 1898, after the escalation of tensions in the relationship between Spain and the United States, the "Pluton", together with the destroyers "Furor" and "Terror", was ordered to form part of the squad commanded by Vice Admiral Cervera, that he would leave for Puerto Rico to defend Spanish colonial rule in the Caribbean. The "Pluto" and the rest of the ships left on April 29 for San Juan de Puerto Rico.

• The fateful July 3, 1898, the "Pluton" turned out to be the last ship to leave through the mouth of the Santiago de Cuba bay, with a singular delay compared to its brothers in misfortune. At 9:30 a.m., he set off the moorings at the Los Cruces dock, maneuvering to head for the Santiago Bay exit; but it was awaited upon its departure by the American ships, which did not hesitate to receive it with a shower of projectiles.

• The natural historical scene of the July 3 disaster and the knowledge of the place where the “Pluto” hit, even the remains of it, scattered on land and sea, make the archaeological site a truly special place, which requires the delimitation of access future to the site and its partial protection, to prolong its life for future generations.

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SHIP "Pluton":

• Name of the wreck: "PLuton".
• Class: Furor.
• Type of vessel: Destroyers.
• Flag: Spain.
• Date of commissioning: February 12, 18979.
• Shipyard: Clydebank Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., UK.
• Launch date: April 1897, was completed on November 4, 1897.
• Commander: Lieutenant of Ship "Pedro Vázquez".
• Crew members: 75 men.
• Length: 69,79 metres.
• Beam: 6,80 meters.
• Strut: 4.20 meters.
• Draft: 3.00 meters.
• Displacement: 380 tons.
• Maximum speed: 28 knots.
• Range at low power: 1000 miles (nautical).
• Type of bow: Corrida, with a small bridge about 15 m from the bow, with ventolines distributed along its length, with two 75-mm “Nordenfelt” guns at the bow and aft on rotating axial trusses. Two davits on both sides in the first third of the vessel. Handrails run of cables along the entire row, from bow to stern, wooded with pipes screwed to the deck.
• Type of machinery: 2 triple expansion steam machines.
• Type of feeding: Mineral coal - 96 tons.
• Power : 4000 - 7000 CV with forced draft.
• Boilers: 4 "Normand" boilers.
• Propulsion : 2 propellers.
• Masts: 1 Mast with davit.
• Large caliber artillery: 2 pieces.
• Maxims" machine guns: 2 pieces.
• Torpedo launchers: 2 emplazamientos (sobre cubierta).

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: Low.

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

Approximate tour duration (total): 2 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.