Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz

[Trace Malinowski]

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (August 13, 1926 - November 26, 2016) has passed away at age 90. He was best known as "Fidel Castro" the revolutionary leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008. What is not common knowledge is that Castro was an avid scuba diver. So much so, that the CIA was reported to have considered using exploding seashells at one of his favorite dive sites or infecting his wetsuit or regulator with deadly chemical or biological agents during the planning of Operation Mongoose to overthrow communism in Cuba during the Kennedy administration. He enjoyed a friendship with Jacques Cousteau and appeared in documentaries about Cuba's underwater history diving with many famous journalists.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Trace,
Glad to see you back...Thanks for the post

Immediately after the Cuban revolution Castro was featured several times in the world's first and only magazine devoted to diving "Skin Diver Magazine; a magazine devote to skin divers and spearfihsermen." He was apparently very active in the sport as was a number of his followers

Then he announced he was a communists and all contact with Castro and Cuba ceased for the next 50 plus years.

SDM

 

[David Wilson]

An article on page 15 the November-December 1963 (Volume 8 Number 6) issue of Triton, the then bi-monthly journal of the British Sub-Aqua Club, which was published a couple of years after the Bay of Pigs invasion and in the same month as the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy:

 

[cavedivingwoman]

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (August 13, 1926 - November 26, 2016) has passed away at age 90. He was best known as "Fidel Castro" the revolutionary leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008. What is not common knowledge is that Castro was an avid scuba diver. So much so, that the CIA was reported to have considered using exploding seashells at one of his favorite dive sites or infecting his wetsuit or regulator with deadly chemical or biological agents during the planning of Operation Mongoose to overthrow communism in Cuba during the Kennedy administration. He enjoyed a friendship with Jacques Cousteau and appeared in documentaries about Cuba's underwater history diving with many famous journalists.

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Thanks for posting this, Trace. Apparently most people have not thought of it. I visited Havana shortly after Fidel's death. The city needs work badly, but the reefs off Isla Juventad are said to be pristine. Fidel felt strongly about that.
Barbara

 

[Kharon]

There is a great documentary that shows up periodically - "Castro's Reef". Well worth the watch, both for the history and the wonderful UW video. Not sure whether its on PBS or one of the nature channels (Nat Geo, etc.)

 

[Caveeagle]

Glad he liked and protected the reefs.

..But let's not forget he was a brutal dictator. I have several friends and coworkers who's families fled Cuba to avoid persecution.

Fidel Castro Spread Death and Brutality

 

[tom1]

Here I am in 2015 diving at Coco Divers in Cayo Coco Cuba one of Fidel Castro's favorite vacation/diving locations. He was said to be around at the time but too old to dive.

 

[CrumhornDiver]

@Trace Malinowski I Castro was a diver on a podcast about a month ago. I created this thread. I don't think they mentioned his friendship with Jacques Cousteau.
Who knew he or she was a diver?