For a dive into history

Cuba is planning to open an underwater route to enable visits to the sunken remains of six warships that participated in the Spain-US naval battle in Santiago de Cuba in 1898.

Cubatur, the company promoting the initiative, explained that tourists, numbering approximately 20 at a time, will be able to dive to the wreckages of the armoured cruisers Cristóbal Colón, Almirante Oquendo and Vizcaya, as well as the destroyers Furor and Plutón. Together, these ships, comprised the Spanish armada commanded by Admiral Pascual Cervera that fought an uneven battle against two US flotillas on July 3, 1898.

The sixth ship available for divers to observe is the steamship USS Merrimac. The US command ordered her to be sunk to block the entrance of Santiago Harbour, Cuba, in an attempt to trap the Spanish fleet.

"These ships have been submerged for more than 110 years and very few in Cuba and abroad even know about them," said Cubatur President Léster Oliva, who added that his company has tried to do "something exceptional."

Admiral Cervera attempted the almost suicidal breakout with his squadron, as ordered from Madrid, despite his different proposals.