Help Me Dive in Cuba

Do you ever see a piece of floating plastic in the ocean? Or see a dead dolphin washed up on shore due to red tide? Well I have... both of these questions relate to major problems the ocean is facing and will continue facing many years from now. The only difference is whether we start changing policies and regulations NOW, so those problems slowly reduce, or we wait until our ocean cannot be saved anymore. My goal is to help combat these problems and I hope you'll help me on my journey. 

Hi! My name is Jazmine Fraga and I'm currently a junior studying Marine Biology and Environment Studies as a double major at Eckerd College. I have a cumulative GPA of 3.69 and am involved in multiple clubs on campus, including the Marine Science Club, the Coral Conservation Club, and Scubi Jew Club, and Shark Conservation Club. I also work for the Office of Sustainability and Media Services. Since childhood, I have had a profound love for the ocean and work towards saving it. It has been my dream to travel to Cuba and dive amongst their pristine reefs and ecosystems.

Now I get the chance to do that, 16 people, including me, have been selected out of 60 applicants to go to the Gardens of the Queen!  The Gardens of the Queen is the most exclusive  reef in the Caribbean. The Cuban government has many restriction about who can visit the reef and the regulations within and outside of it. Eckerd College is the only college in the U.S. who has received access due to their great relationship among scientists.

During this two-week trip I will be spending 3 days in the capital of Havana, 3 days at the Bay of Pigs, and a week at the Gardens of the Queen.  The Gardens of the Queen portion of the trip will involve staying on the 33m Oceans for Youth vessel. It is here where we will have daily lectures about the reef ecosystem and research that has been done on the Gardens of the Queen. Two scientists will be aboard the ship with us whose research we will be reading. There will be four scuba diving trips and plenty of snorkeling opportunities within this week, in which we will see, Caribbean reef sharks, goliath groupers, and hawksbill sea turtles, just to name a few!

Unfortunately I was unable to receive a scholarship for this trip, so all the money must come out of pocket. I worked two jobs over the summer planning to study abroad, but I did not make enough money. In order to go on this once in a lifetime opportunity I need to make $2000.  This money will be used for the tuition of the trip and scuba diving gear. I will be working hard these next two months to make as much of that as possible, but I still need your help. The bill is due in full on December 1st. 

Please help me go on this amazing opportunity with world renowned scientists to learn more about our beautiful oceans. This journey will be a great investment into my future. Any amount of money you can contribute will be greatly appreciated in order for me to get closer to my dreams.

Thank you! 

You can find more information about the vessel and classes I will be taking at the Gardens of the Queen here: https://travel.padi.com/liveaboard/cuba/oceans-for-youth/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_pn42vrE3QIVwUCGCh3thwNOEAAYASAAEgIq3fD_BwE#description