• Submitted by: manso
• Travel and Tourism
• 04 / 10 / 2011

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Havana, Apr 10(Prensa Latina) Organizers and divers are predicting a successful 3rd FOTOSUB Colony International Underwater Photography Contest, set for next week on the Isle of Youth.

 The April 10-14 event is being held in coastal waters near the Hotel Colony, in a spot considered ideal for underwater photography.

Fifteen competitors are expected so far from Cuba, France, Italy, Mexico, Russia and Spain, and possibly Canada. Along with contestants, diving experts from Britain, Chile, Mexico, Russia, Spain and Uruguay will attend as observers.

The program includes two training/orientation dives, and the contest categories are fish, environment without model, macro and environment with model.

The Hotel Colony is 42 km from Nueva Gerona, provincial capital of the Isle of Youth, which hosts 56 diving sites, especially in the Punta Frances Natural Park, where the contest is being held.

The FOTOSUB contest, an environmentally friendly event, is one of the most important events of the Tourism Ministry, commented Deborah Andollo, president of the Cuban Underwater Federation.

Carlos Otero, Cuban national champion of this sport, will be competing in this year's event. The jury is being led by Carlos Fonseca of Cuba, and comprises Domenico Ruso of Italy and Xavier Duran of Spain, who is president of the sports commission of the World Underwater Federation (CMAS).

Cuban tourism authorities hope to make the island a top diving destination.