Just wanted to add a belated dive report regarding Bayahibe, Dominican Republic in late June '09.
The DR seems to be underrated as a dive spot in the Caribbean, so it was with interest that i took a chance and went to Bayahibe for a little bit of adventure...and i was more than pleasantly surprised. The diving is definitely underrated in this place and B is a really cool place to relax.
The best thing i did was hook up with the 'Scubafun' operation, run by an Americano called John Sack. John could not have been a more hospitable host and went out of his way to make my diving and overall stay much more enjoyable.
Fyi, Bayahibe is a quaint, small fishing village in between Santo Domingo and Punta Cana. It is devoid of all the usual all-inclusive tourist stuff, a fact that is what attracted me most. There are several nice little restaurants and hotels and no major touristy exploitation.
The diving in Bayahibe was a pleasant surprise. Although it wasn't the best i have ever done, it is far from the worst. I was there in late June, which is the beginning of the hurricane season and the weather was a bit unsettled although not too bad, which tended to affect the visibility.
Viz ranged from 1 to 6m (3-20 ft), but only during descents; the viz at the bottom was reasonably fine for diving and the reefs around the area are in excellent shape with many barrel sponges, sea fans and hard coral. There was plenty of marine life, with lobsters, big-ass crabs, eels, plenty of rays, a couple of lionfish, angelfish and heaps of other stuff too....
Highlights included the St. George wreck, where the poor viz actually added to the atmosphere by making it kinda spooky; also one day when returning on the boat we were escorted by a large pod of dolphins who played with us for several hundred metres, that was worth the price of admission alone. In addition, there is a couple of sites where there are remnants of old galleons, where you find old cannons and cannon balls....really cool.
Again, i would strongly recommend John Sack's 'Scubafun' operation, they have a great boat, cool local staff and make an effort to do things safely and make you feel welcome. John was a great host, showed me some of the local culture
, and even drove me back to SD from Bayahibe....no mean feat.
I would luv to return when the viz is better, the diving was really cool, fairly easy and there is plenty of underwater history in that place. If you like a bit of adventure, do it...
saludos..
The DR seems to be underrated as a dive spot in the Caribbean, so it was with interest that i took a chance and went to Bayahibe for a little bit of adventure...and i was more than pleasantly surprised. The diving is definitely underrated in this place and B is a really cool place to relax.
The best thing i did was hook up with the 'Scubafun' operation, run by an Americano called John Sack. John could not have been a more hospitable host and went out of his way to make my diving and overall stay much more enjoyable.
Fyi, Bayahibe is a quaint, small fishing village in between Santo Domingo and Punta Cana. It is devoid of all the usual all-inclusive tourist stuff, a fact that is what attracted me most. There are several nice little restaurants and hotels and no major touristy exploitation.
The diving in Bayahibe was a pleasant surprise. Although it wasn't the best i have ever done, it is far from the worst. I was there in late June, which is the beginning of the hurricane season and the weather was a bit unsettled although not too bad, which tended to affect the visibility.
Viz ranged from 1 to 6m (3-20 ft), but only during descents; the viz at the bottom was reasonably fine for diving and the reefs around the area are in excellent shape with many barrel sponges, sea fans and hard coral. There was plenty of marine life, with lobsters, big-ass crabs, eels, plenty of rays, a couple of lionfish, angelfish and heaps of other stuff too....
Highlights included the St. George wreck, where the poor viz actually added to the atmosphere by making it kinda spooky; also one day when returning on the boat we were escorted by a large pod of dolphins who played with us for several hundred metres, that was worth the price of admission alone. In addition, there is a couple of sites where there are remnants of old galleons, where you find old cannons and cannon balls....really cool.
Again, i would strongly recommend John Sack's 'Scubafun' operation, they have a great boat, cool local staff and make an effort to do things safely and make you feel welcome. John was a great host, showed me some of the local culture
, and even drove me back to SD from Bayahibe....no mean feat.I would luv to return when the viz is better, the diving was really cool, fairly easy and there is plenty of underwater history in that place. If you like a bit of adventure, do it...
saludos..
