ARRIVAL
I landed on Dominica in light rain. It took almost two hours to unload luggage and process customs for the 60-70 passengers arriving on American Airlines #3502 from Miami. After customs a hotel driver met me and we began a hair-raising ride through corkscrew turns, up and down a narrow two-lane road. An hour later I arrived safely at the Ft. Young Hotel in the capitol city of Rouseau. This transit is not for those prone to motion sickness,which,thankfully I am not. They drive English-style on this formerly British island.Fortunately my driver was quite familiar with the road conditions and his taxi was blessed with nimble suspension,good brakes and a loud horn. I couldn't image navigating this route in an unfamiliar rental car, but some do it.
WHY DOMINICA ?
When I began my research, I discovered Dominica was devastated by a direct hit from Hurricane Maria in 2017.This made me wonder what condition the reefs would be in five years later. With all the places in the Caribbean to choose from,the reason I chose tiny Dominica was because so little had been reported about it on ScubaBoard. This could be because of one of two reasons. The diving wasn't very good or, the more compelling reason,few divers made the effort to travel there. That possibility alone piqued my curiosity.
GETTING AROUND
If you do not rent a car, you are at the mercy of taxis and ground transportation. The local "buses", (minivans who drive a particular route, but also pick-up and drop-off on request) are the absolute cheapest way to go. Short trips around Portsmouth cost 150 ECD,...about 50 cents. Taxi service is another matter entirely. The Ft. Young Hotel arranged airport transfer upon arrival at Douglas Charles International Airport.But my privately booked ride from Rouseau to Portsmouth was $120 USD,and that was considered a bargain.On my departure day the fare from Portsmouth back to the airport,a distance of 34km, about 21 miles, cost $80. Such are the going rates for visiting tourists.
LODGING
The first week I stayed at the Ft. Young Hotel in the capital city, Rouseau.As it turned out this was an excellent choice,as I can't imagine being more comfortable elsewhere.The staff was helpful and efficient. I opted for a meal plan and fortunately the food was excellent,as there were no comparable restaurants within walking distance.
The hotel overlooks the harbor near the cruise ship and ferry docks. It was off-season for the cruise ships,so none were anchored.
My second week took me up north to Portsmouth,the second largest town,where I stayed at the Riverside Hotel on the banks of the Picard River. I chose this hotel because it was within easy walking distance to the Cabrits Dive Center. After checking-in I was shown to my second floor room where the staff struggled to get the flat screen TV and room safe up and running. There was no hot water in the bathroom sink and the cold water was murky and brown. It was raining that day,so I wondered about the source. The balcony overlooked a rain-swollen torrent below. Construction across the street and a constantly barking dog became my daily wake-up call.On the plus side,the WIFI was strong and consistent thanks to an in-room modem.
FOOD
Eating out in the Caribbean can get expensive and the quality is often wanting.The prices on the menu are in the local currency which is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (ECD)...currently valued at about one-third of a US dollar. So a menu item listed costing $70 is really more like $23 USD. My meals in Rouseau were taken at the Ft. Young Hotel where the food was quite good. In Portsmouth I had several excellent meals at the highly-recommended Infinity Restaurant & Bar which was conveniently located right next to the Riverside Hotel. If you go to Portsmouth, this is the place to have a great meal.
DIVING DOMINICA
Because of Dominica's volcanic history,the underwater terrain is much different than you might expect. Like a color image rendered in monochrome. During my two weeks stay I saw the usual reef creatures,crabs,turtles,lobsters and eels...and,of course the ubiquitous lion fish,which were easy targets for our hunting dive masters.
The occasional ray or octopus,but no sharks. My personal interest is not in micro life forms,so I can't comment on the presence of nudibranchs or anything smaller than a fingernail.
ROUSEAU
Dive Dominica,the in-house operation at the Ft. Young Hotel was completely booked for the week,so I arranged a five-day package with Nature Island Divers, 25 minutes south in Soufriere. We arranged for a taxi to meet me at 8 AM the next morning for Day #1 of my daily commute. Upon arrival I was welcomed by the owner Simon and his crew of women dive masters. A recently adopted black and white puppy romped around the open office which was a short walk to the 33 foot aluminum catamaran moored at the new concrete pier just across the street. I was the only one on my first dive with dive master "Joy",who really was a joy to dive with.
In Soufriere,pinnacles and drop-offs were the main attraction. The volcanic sand here comes in various shades of brown and gray. This serves to reflect less sunlight and makes some areas look more like a lunar landscape If you're taking photos,this is your reference gray card. Because of this,the shallow water appeared less turquoise than you might expect in most of the Caribbean.
PORTSMOUTH
After a week in Rouseau,I booked a five-day package at Cabrits Dive Center run by a charming French couple,Virginie and Remy Granger. Their dive boat is a 23' outboard-powered pontoon craft; basically a big Zodiac raft with racks in the middle for tanks.Entry is by back-roll off the sides,with a newly redesigned ladder that made getting back onboard somewhat easier.
Unlike the sharp drop-offs of Soufriere,the boulder-strewn terrain in the Cabrits Marine Reserve gradually slopes down from the rocky shore into the depths. Here there are patches of lighter sand that make the surface water appear more typically Caribbean. One spectacular site called Split Rock was the highlight of my dives there...and Virginie's fresh-baked banana nut cake was a tasty treat during surface intervals.
IN CONCLUSION
Because Dominica is rugged and mountainous,with over 360 streams and rivers,water clarity was often compromised by weather. During my brief stay,there was a noticeable lack of large fish at all dive sites and no sharks. Of course, it's always the luck-of-the-draw as to just what cruises by on any given dive.
Having done most of my diving in Cozumel over the past years during COVID,I found the reefs of Dominica starkly different. And unlike drift diving,it was a relief to not be at the whim of the currents. It was good to be in total control of when and where I moved underwater.
What became more interesting to me was the asperous underwater landscape; the large encrusted boulders in the north and the vertical drop-offs down in Soufriere. And the warm,gaseous bubbles of Champagne Beach were an added delight never before witnessed.Overall the (mostly) rain-free weather and 83 degree water at depth was well within my comfort zone.Of the two areas visited,the Scott's Head Marine Reserve with its sheer walls and pinnacles was by far the most impressive.
A closing note for those non-diving companions considering a vacation trip to Dominica. In many ways this island nation is still recovering from Hurricane Maria. The fragile infrastructure is not yet ready to accommodate the most basic needs of mass tourism. Outside of some expensive eco-resorts and hotels sprinkled around the island,restaurant options are limited and there is really nothing to shop for or buy. So unless you are an,"outdoors person", avid hiker or scuba diver,there's really little else to do on the, "Nature Island". And maybe that's a good thing...my opinion only...YMMV.
I landed on Dominica in light rain. It took almost two hours to unload luggage and process customs for the 60-70 passengers arriving on American Airlines #3502 from Miami. After customs a hotel driver met me and we began a hair-raising ride through corkscrew turns, up and down a narrow two-lane road. An hour later I arrived safely at the Ft. Young Hotel in the capitol city of Rouseau. This transit is not for those prone to motion sickness,which,thankfully I am not. They drive English-style on this formerly British island.Fortunately my driver was quite familiar with the road conditions and his taxi was blessed with nimble suspension,good brakes and a loud horn. I couldn't image navigating this route in an unfamiliar rental car, but some do it.
WHY DOMINICA ?
When I began my research, I discovered Dominica was devastated by a direct hit from Hurricane Maria in 2017.This made me wonder what condition the reefs would be in five years later. With all the places in the Caribbean to choose from,the reason I chose tiny Dominica was because so little had been reported about it on ScubaBoard. This could be because of one of two reasons. The diving wasn't very good or, the more compelling reason,few divers made the effort to travel there. That possibility alone piqued my curiosity.
GETTING AROUND
If you do not rent a car, you are at the mercy of taxis and ground transportation. The local "buses", (minivans who drive a particular route, but also pick-up and drop-off on request) are the absolute cheapest way to go. Short trips around Portsmouth cost 150 ECD,...about 50 cents. Taxi service is another matter entirely. The Ft. Young Hotel arranged airport transfer upon arrival at Douglas Charles International Airport.But my privately booked ride from Rouseau to Portsmouth was $120 USD,and that was considered a bargain.On my departure day the fare from Portsmouth back to the airport,a distance of 34km, about 21 miles, cost $80. Such are the going rates for visiting tourists.
LODGING
The first week I stayed at the Ft. Young Hotel in the capital city, Rouseau.As it turned out this was an excellent choice,as I can't imagine being more comfortable elsewhere.The staff was helpful and efficient. I opted for a meal plan and fortunately the food was excellent,as there were no comparable restaurants within walking distance.
The hotel overlooks the harbor near the cruise ship and ferry docks. It was off-season for the cruise ships,so none were anchored.
My second week took me up north to Portsmouth,the second largest town,where I stayed at the Riverside Hotel on the banks of the Picard River. I chose this hotel because it was within easy walking distance to the Cabrits Dive Center. After checking-in I was shown to my second floor room where the staff struggled to get the flat screen TV and room safe up and running. There was no hot water in the bathroom sink and the cold water was murky and brown. It was raining that day,so I wondered about the source. The balcony overlooked a rain-swollen torrent below. Construction across the street and a constantly barking dog became my daily wake-up call.On the plus side,the WIFI was strong and consistent thanks to an in-room modem.
FOOD
Eating out in the Caribbean can get expensive and the quality is often wanting.The prices on the menu are in the local currency which is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (ECD)...currently valued at about one-third of a US dollar. So a menu item listed costing $70 is really more like $23 USD. My meals in Rouseau were taken at the Ft. Young Hotel where the food was quite good. In Portsmouth I had several excellent meals at the highly-recommended Infinity Restaurant & Bar which was conveniently located right next to the Riverside Hotel. If you go to Portsmouth, this is the place to have a great meal.
DIVING DOMINICA
Because of Dominica's volcanic history,the underwater terrain is much different than you might expect. Like a color image rendered in monochrome. During my two weeks stay I saw the usual reef creatures,crabs,turtles,lobsters and eels...and,of course the ubiquitous lion fish,which were easy targets for our hunting dive masters.
The occasional ray or octopus,but no sharks. My personal interest is not in micro life forms,so I can't comment on the presence of nudibranchs or anything smaller than a fingernail.
ROUSEAU
Dive Dominica,the in-house operation at the Ft. Young Hotel was completely booked for the week,so I arranged a five-day package with Nature Island Divers, 25 minutes south in Soufriere. We arranged for a taxi to meet me at 8 AM the next morning for Day #1 of my daily commute. Upon arrival I was welcomed by the owner Simon and his crew of women dive masters. A recently adopted black and white puppy romped around the open office which was a short walk to the 33 foot aluminum catamaran moored at the new concrete pier just across the street. I was the only one on my first dive with dive master "Joy",who really was a joy to dive with.
In Soufriere,pinnacles and drop-offs were the main attraction. The volcanic sand here comes in various shades of brown and gray. This serves to reflect less sunlight and makes some areas look more like a lunar landscape If you're taking photos,this is your reference gray card. Because of this,the shallow water appeared less turquoise than you might expect in most of the Caribbean.
PORTSMOUTH
After a week in Rouseau,I booked a five-day package at Cabrits Dive Center run by a charming French couple,Virginie and Remy Granger. Their dive boat is a 23' outboard-powered pontoon craft; basically a big Zodiac raft with racks in the middle for tanks.Entry is by back-roll off the sides,with a newly redesigned ladder that made getting back onboard somewhat easier.
Unlike the sharp drop-offs of Soufriere,the boulder-strewn terrain in the Cabrits Marine Reserve gradually slopes down from the rocky shore into the depths. Here there are patches of lighter sand that make the surface water appear more typically Caribbean. One spectacular site called Split Rock was the highlight of my dives there...and Virginie's fresh-baked banana nut cake was a tasty treat during surface intervals.
IN CONCLUSION
Because Dominica is rugged and mountainous,with over 360 streams and rivers,water clarity was often compromised by weather. During my brief stay,there was a noticeable lack of large fish at all dive sites and no sharks. Of course, it's always the luck-of-the-draw as to just what cruises by on any given dive.
Having done most of my diving in Cozumel over the past years during COVID,I found the reefs of Dominica starkly different. And unlike drift diving,it was a relief to not be at the whim of the currents. It was good to be in total control of when and where I moved underwater.
What became more interesting to me was the asperous underwater landscape; the large encrusted boulders in the north and the vertical drop-offs down in Soufriere. And the warm,gaseous bubbles of Champagne Beach were an added delight never before witnessed.Overall the (mostly) rain-free weather and 83 degree water at depth was well within my comfort zone.Of the two areas visited,the Scott's Head Marine Reserve with its sheer walls and pinnacles was by far the most impressive.
A closing note for those non-diving companions considering a vacation trip to Dominica. In many ways this island nation is still recovering from Hurricane Maria. The fragile infrastructure is not yet ready to accommodate the most basic needs of mass tourism. Outside of some expensive eco-resorts and hotels sprinkled around the island,restaurant options are limited and there is really nothing to shop for or buy. So unless you are an,"outdoors person", avid hiker or scuba diver,there's really little else to do on the, "Nature Island". And maybe that's a good thing...my opinion only...YMMV.
