Impact

BEAUTIFUL & VULNERABLE, CUBA IS SAVING ITSELF NOW

Photo by Ciénaga de Zapata by Francisco Puertas.

by Francisco Puertas. Ciénaga de Zapata.

Cuba is famous for its cigars, rum, jazz, and politics, but one of its most precious assets is not famous at all -- and that is precisely what has made it so valuable.

Cuba is an ecological jewel. It got the nickname, "Accidental Eden,” because of the unexpected positive effects of the US trade embargo -- The country’s ecosystems have been relatively unmolested by tourists and industry.

While coastal and marine ecosystems in the rest of the Caribbean have been increasingly degraded, in Cuba they are pristine. Cuba boasts the largest virgin rainforests, unspoiled reefs and intact wetlands in the Caribbean.

Cuba is one of the most important islands in the world for biodiversity. About 50% of plants and 42% of animals that live in Cuba are endemic.

Cuba takes it seriously. The government is now committed to protecting 25% of Cuba’s national waters -- most other countries protect only 1%. It has declared some species, like its 135 million year-old Cork Palms, to be national monuments in order to protect them.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that elkhorn coral, once an iconic species, is now 95 extinct from Caribbean waters today, but in Cuba’s Gardens of the Queen National Park, a “no-take” marine reserve, elkhorn lives happily along more than 30 miles of its barrier reef.

Enjoy Cuba’s natural beauty in 263 protected areas, 6 UNESCO biospheres, 2 UNESCO Natural World Heritage sites and 10 national parks. Over 170 types of birds, and dozens of types of reptiles and mammals live here.

Check out Cuchillas del Toa Biosphere Reserve in Baracoa, home to the colorful Cuban Land Snail; the Zapata Ciénaga Biosphere Reserve, home to the largest wetlands in the Caribbean and the smallest hummingbird in the world; the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve; the Baconao Biosphere Reserve, in Santiago de Cuba, home to over 1,800 plant and 939 wildlife species; and the Buenavista Biosphere Reserve, which also houses beautifully historical cave paintings; and the Guanahacabibes Biosphere Reserve, famous for its sea turtles.

Sea turtles are endangered, as tourism and pollution threaten to degrade Cuba’s beaches. The Billion Baby Turtles initiative helps to protect turtle nests throughout Cuba and Latin America.

Playa Sirena, a beach on Cayo Largo, a small uninhabited island approximately 80 miles from the main island of Cuba, is another key breeding ground for Caribbean sea turtles.

Three species of sea turtles are born here. They swim off to spend the next 5 years swimming around in open seas. Miraculously, every year, between April and September, mature females return here to lay their eggs, and males comes to find mates.

What will become of Cuba’s wild places and wildlife once the country is fully open to tourism and industry? Cuba has a chance to do better than the rest of the world protect its natural treasure.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

Image: by Francisco Puertas. Ciénaga de Zapata.
Image: by Lezumbalaberenjena. One of the many naturals pools in Caburni river.
Image: by Noel Lopez Fernandez Courtesy of Environmental Defense Fund. Gardens of the Queen.
Image: by Ian Shive. Elkhorn Coral.
Image: Courtesy of See Turtles.
Image: by Frederik J. W. van Oudenhoven Courtesy of Satoyama Initiative. Cuchillas del Toa Biosphere Reserve.
Image: by Peter Liu. Green Sea Turtle.
Image: by myheimu. Green Sea Turtle.
Image: by Caroline S. Rogers. Courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region. Hawksbill Sea Turtle/ Carey de Concha.
Image: by Jim Damare. Where's the Hare? Newly hatched Loggerhead sea turtle on the first walk to the water.
Image: by swiftjetsum626. Green Sea Turtle.
Image: Courtesy of BeautifulNow. BN App.