Cuba Scuba

09/27/2026

There’s something pretty special about friends introducing us to friends… who become our friends too. ❤️🇨🇺

That’s part of our quest across Cuba: show up, share a table, hear a story, make a connection—and discover what might be possible when we work together.

It’s about building trust between friends, keeping our word, and continuing to show up for one another—sharing the resolve to make things just a little better, together.

One friendship, one meal, one community at a time. And usually with a whole lot of laughter along the way. 😄

09/11/2026

Today we celebrate the birthday of one of my very best friends! 🥳🎂❤️

Years ago, when I needed help, I prayed — and God sent Alex, Cecilia, and their family into our lives. What began in an unexpected moment grew into a beautiful friendship between our two families that has crossed years, miles, borders, and plenty of adventures. 🌎❤️

Alex and Cecilia are those rare kind of people you can trust completely — the kind who become family and stay family, no matter where in the world you happen to be.

And Alex has been part of the Cuba Scuba adventure from the very beginning! 🤿🇨🇺 Ten years ago, he was there with our very first group celebrating Victoria’s birthday — and what a decade of memories, laughter, friendship, and adventures it has been since! 🎉

The world has changed a lot in those ten years, and sometimes our countries may feel farther apart. But our friendship isn’t. Neither are the friendships between all the wonderful people who have become connected along the way — or our dreams of many more adventures together in the future. ❤️🌊

So today, here’s to Alex — a joyful, determined, one-of-a-kind human — and to Cecilia, his family, and ALL the friends near and far who are lucky enough to love him and celebrate him!

May the next trip around the sun bring plenty of reasons to laugh, dream, gather together, and maybe even get underwater again. 🤿🌴

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Alex! 🥳🎂🎉
We love you and are so grateful our families found each other. ❤️

08/16/2026

Penny DePhillip — a fellow traveler and dear friend — passed away.

We’ve been thinking about her a lot over the past few weeks. 💝

Penny was someone who was fully present, no matter the setting. Even if you only met her briefly, her positive spirit left an impression. She had a way of making people feel seen — with her signature smile, her hugs, and the genuine interest she took in the people around her.

That was Penny’s gift to so many of us who shared time with her in Cuba.

Over five years, Penny traveled with us four times and had already planned to return in 2027. Her love for the Cuban people was evident not only in the way she showed up while she was there, but in the ways she continued to reach out, care and give in between her travels.

Penny inspires us.

At her memorial, her scuba instructor shared that when Penny first learned to dive, she was timid and afraid. But she stuck with it. She pushed through the fear and overcame it. We’re so glad she did — because otherwise, our paths may never have crossed.

Her instructor encouraged all of us to “show up like Penny” — to carry her signature smile, her hugs, and the way she made people feel out into the world.

We love that.

In the coming months, we’ll do more to honor Penny and the love she had for Cuba and its people.

Penny’s life here on earth may be complete, but the impact of the way she lived it isn’t.

Her legacy is just getting started. 💝

08/11/2026

{volume UP!}
Happy birthday 🎂 to our dear Tony Morfa who teaches us all how to laugh 😂 through every challenge and keep your eyes toward solutions…..even in the most extreme conditions. We love you lots 💕 💝 🥳

08/06/2026

Despite 56 hours from the latest blackout in Cuba… life goes on… and amidst all of the hardship we want to wish a very happy birthday to our chief of smiles, our dear friend and eternal optimist Osvaldo Noriega Luis

04/08/2026

The Cuban people are not the policy—they’re families caught in the middle.

04/04/2026

Love is Action

Friends of Cuba!! 🇨🇺 ❤️ 🇺🇸

12 people - who at one time or another traveled to Cuba 🏝️ saw the news & decided to give back.

This is your story - entwined with the stories of 57 families that have been met with outreached arms. 🙌

Your story unfolds from humanity and generosity over the last few weeks.

It seems that God can do a lot through 12 people with good hearts and clear action! 😉 🙏

It doesn’t solve everything, but for a moment ⏰ — 57 families could take an exhale and feel a hug from a nation where our governments oppose one another.

🤗 💗 💕 😘

This song was sent from one of our dear Cuban friends this morning.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fT6zrTcXvuPBqRMs_MUmF9Lr4E14eCSj/view?usp=drivesdk

It beautifully and agonizingly describes the crisis our Cuban people are living in.

I am convinced Cubans are the most beautiful people on the planet, even in suffering. In their pain they make songs & send them. In their pain they still smile as milk and cooking oil are passed among them and shared.
Because in the end it’s not about the oil - it’s about not letting life sour your heart not matter what comes. It’s about seeing your neighbor- and loving them.

Right now…Love 💝and Hope 🕊️ are at war with despair and evil…And though they may grow weary… Love & Hope will always triumph.

This Easter weekend may we be a little more like the Cuban people 🇨🇺 and may we remember the Hope 🕊️ that lies in Christ Jesus.

PS - if you’d like to contribute, message us- we’ll continue to send every last 💵 in support of our Cuban friends 💝

04/04/2026

Love is Action

Friends of Cuba!! 🇨🇺 ❤️ 🇺🇸

12 people - who at one time or another traveled to Cuba 🏝️ saw the news & decided to give back.

This is your story - entwined with the stories of 57 families that have been met with outreached arms. 🙌

Your story unfolds with humanity and generosity over the last few weeks.

It seems God can do a lot through 12 people with good hearts and clear action! 😉 🙏

It doesn’t solve everything, but for a moment ⏰ — 57 families could take an exhale and feel a hug from a nation where our governments oppose one another.

🤗 💗 💕 😘

This song was sent from one of our dear Cuban friends this morning:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JPyiLhgw8wvHb1lWePXas7fh6XT1Lgjz1Y0HXwDkj4E/edit?usp=drivesdk

It beautifully and agonizingly describes the crisis our Cuban people are living in.

I am convinced Cubans are the most beautiful people on the planet, even in suffering. In their pain they make songs & send them. In their pain they still smile as milk and cooking oil are passed among them and shared.

Because in the end it’s not about the oil - it’s about not letting life sour your heart no matter what comes. It’s about seeing your neighbor- and loving them.

Right now…Love 💝and Hope 🕊️ are at war with despair and evil…And though they may grow weary… Love & Hope will always triumph.

This Easter weekend may we be a little more like the Cuban people 🇨🇺 and may we remember the Hope 🕊️ that lies in Christ Jesus.

PS - if you’d like to contribute, message us- we’ll continue to send every last 💵 in support of our Cuban friends 💝

03/20/2026

Dear friends of Cuba - we’ve all watched as our beloved Cubans have been plunged into a crisis deeper than any they’ve faced before: energy shortages, fuel blockades, total island blackouts from electricity, hospital closures, food scarcity and quadruple inflation on the little food that’s left and no tourism or job economy. It’s unbearable to watch. We pray for our governments to get it together and reach an agreement quickly! In the meantime…If you’re wondering “What can we do from here to help?”then we’ve found a way. We tested and successfully found a reliable way to send humanitarian supplies. Most coveted are powdered milk, cooking oil and canned goods…As well as soap and detergent. To give you an idea… a full grocery run for a family of 2-4 costs about $275 delivered. We can send to Vinales, Guanahacabibes and Havana. We are looking into more ways to reach other cities where our groups have traveled. If you’d like to participate/ donate or have particular friends you want to send to, send us a message and we’ll give you instructions on how to donate as well as pics once the supplies are delivered. 🇨🇺 ❤️ 🇺🇸

02/22/2026

Congratulations, Dr. Dorka!

🎉🍾 🇨🇺

Thank you for making Guanhacabibes so special to so many and carrying on Dr. Maria Ibarra Martin’s legacy to the next generation ❤️

https://www.gcfi.org/gcfi-women-in-ocean-science/dorka/?fbclid=IwdGRleAQIGt9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeTXqA1dynxpBQIu0U7Kfo_VKvSBY1JSFwvJFTbb245wch8DaMfWLJ6LAg2KM_aem_YfTOM8rpK-Q9DfPURKUHsg

My connection with the ocean developed gradually, rooted in a deep bond with the sea and Cuba’s coastal landscapes. I was introduced to the ocean at a very young age: I remember that every summer, during the holidays, my mother would take me to the “beach.” Additionally, during my early school...