Dominica...everything I should know but don't

[tarzana]

Dominica is different. It is a volcanic island, with steep sides that are actually the sides of mountains that drop into abyssal depths within a few miles of shore. There are almost no sandy beaches, and the coral zone is narrow because of the rapid depth drop offs. There are more enormous boulders than coral heads. Unlike many other islands there are no vast shallow reef gardens.

Despite all this, the diving in places is spectacular. Around Scott's Head there is an enormous undersea bowl, formed by an ancient volcanic explosion. The diving there is amazing. The proximity to the open sea brings in all kinds of pelagic species, and the underwater scenery is nothing less than spectacular. There are great areas to dive mid-island, and also in the north.

The water clarity is usually excellent, even after heavy rains. Dominica is mostly rain forest, so it does rain a great deal. Most of the rain is in the interior, though, with clouds forming around the high mountain peaks, silent lightning flashes a few miles away while the sun shines brilliantly. There are hundreds of beautiful warm water rivers flowing freely into the sea. The diversity of sea life is amazing. You can see things there that are seldom if ever encountered elsewhere.

Topside, Dominica is a natural paradise. I have seen the kind of rainforest that covers Dominica only on the South and Central American mainland. Prehistoric giant ferns towering 20 feet high, trees so vast you can't see around them, deep green ground cover softer than a featherbed. The roads are very bad, but I drive there all the time, standard shift 4WD, with no problems other than an occasional detour because of landslides. There are no poisonous animals, and the jungle is unusually gentle, almost enfolding.

Warm microrain too fine to be seen, only lightly felt, while the sun is shining brightly from a cloudless sky crossed by double rainbows can be as addicting as any narcotic. The deep water so close to shore means you can, on rare occasions, see whales while having dinner, both you and they. How the water sparkles as those giant flukes toss fish into the air! Wildlife is everywhere. Not many people, and almost no tourists.

The drinking water is quite safe. There are not too many good restaurants, and the food is only fair in most places. I always rent my own place, and it's possible to get local women to come in and cook excellent local cuisine very reasonably if you buy the essentials. You do need a car. There are a few good restaurants, though. Menus are limited.

I fly Seaborne out of San Juan. It's an excellent airline, much better than LIAT. The flight from SJU to DOM leaves shortly after noon, so unless you can get to San Juan very early an overnight stay is unavoidable. I fly in to SJ at night, overnight at the Airport Hotel, about $130 for a double.

Check Nature Island Destinations for rental details. Colin Lees is the guy I deal with. Rentals are very cheap, but a car is really needed. I would never consider not having my own transportation because of the freedom and ability to see wonderful things.

Dominica is a poor island, but people are friendly and generally polite, and as a rule do not bother you in any way.

I go as often as I can. The diving is wonderful, and the interior is spectacular. No place is perfect. Dominica is not for everyone, and can be physically difficult. I'm in my 70s now, and so far so good. I kind of feel sorry for the tourists who stay at diving dedicated AI, and miss most of what is one of the world's wonders.

Thank you so much for this report.. not sure if the diving is the same or not as so many years have gone by but the whole island and diving sounds like my cup of tea.... Have you gone since this trip?

 

[agilis]

Thank you so much for this report.. not sure if the diving is the same or not as so many years have gone by but the whole island and diving sounds like my cup of tea.... Have you gone since this trip?

Thanks for the kind words. I returned once after that report, but not since, for various health and personal issues. I had heart surgery not long ago, and then the pandemic. I'm planning to go soon, though, perhaps this winter, to celebrate my 80th birthday. Colin Lees is still the man to see if you will be doing your own thing, renting a place to stay and an SUV. I truly hope that not too much has deteriorated. The tiny airport and the hair raising approach to landing keep things from getting out of hand, tourism wise. If you talk to Colin, tell him John and Tracey send their regards. I've known him for many years and he'll steer you straight. The Chinese presence on Dominica has become substantial, and a number of operations cater to busloads of cruise ship people, but I think things like the hallucinogenic appearance of giant fireflies down from the mountains when the night breezes blow can still be experienced.

 

[afdgf]

We were there in March 2022. We stayed at Ft. Young which turned out to be a mistake because the boats for their dive shop had been wiped out in the hurricane and they paid for a taxi to take us to Nature Island Divers which turned out to be very good. If we were to go again, we would stay at Jungle Bay (I think that was the name) which is walking distance to Nature Island Divers. I thought it was misleading for Ft. Young to keep the picture of the boat that had been wiped out on their webpage which implied that it still existed. My understanding is that Buddy Dive of Bonaire used to handle the dive shop at Ft. Young but pulled out after the hurricane. In any event, I would strongly recommend Nature Island Divers.

 

[drrich2]

If we were to go again, we would stay at Jungle Bay (I think that was the name) which is walking distance to Nature Island Divers.

What did you think of the diving compared to other Caribbean regions you've dove? Do you think Dominica makes a compelling case for a dedicated dive trip?

Did you do much topside? Rainforest hikes or other tours? Was Jungle Bay near anything else interesting?

Richard.

 

[afdgf]

What did you think of the diving compared to other Caribbean regions you've dove? Do you think Dominica makes a compelling case for a dedicated dive trip?

Did you do much topside? Rainforest hikes or other tours? Was Jungle Bay near anything else interesting?

Richard.

We liked the diving in Dominica a lot, but people have different preferences. For us, the diving was easy with no current, chop or surge and good visibility. Warm water. The dive sites were not far and not too deep. A lot of fish, but I do not remember much in the way of predators. I would put it above average for the Caribbean, but not at the top. We drove back to Ft. Young each day so the other stuff that we did was out of Ft. Young and not near Jungle Bay. The dive shop had a little cafe which served really good lionfish sandwiches and smoothies. We liked the divemasters on the boat and we liked the shop owner who was very concerned about the health of the coral. Their big boat was good. The little boat not so much. All of our dives except one was from the big boat. We enjoyed ourselves very much and would not hesitate to recommend it. We enjoyed driving around (in a taxi) and walking around the Ft. Young area. We did a tour on our off day (from Ft. Young) and did a hike in a native area where we attended a talk and had lunch.
Dennis