Dominica or Roatan

[Tuckster]

Been researching Roatan .. how does Dominica compare topside as well as under. I like larger marine life.

 

[pilot fish]

Been researching Roatan .. how does Dominica compare topside as well as under. I like larger marine life.

Dominica is better diving. Better reefs and fish. Topside is not exciting in Dominica at all but what is there is affordable. It really depends on what you are looking for and what your preferences are, UW or topside? Do a search here on the Board for more info.

 

[divingjd]

I haven't been to Dominica but I have been to Roatan. I have read a fair amount on Dominica and I understand the diving is very similar to St. Lucia, which I have visited. Roatan is a great place to dive. The diversity of marine life there is fantastic. It has more species of corals and fish than any other dive destination in the Caribbean. You have a good chance of seeing big animals. We saw whale sharks (it doesn't get any bigger than that), turtles, grouper, jacks, barracuda, squid, and lots of other stuff. I also did a shark dive (they feed the sharks to attract them) and saw a couple dozen sharks on that dive. Visibility is generally good, in the 80' range, sometimes better, sometimes down to 60' or so. The reefs are pretty healthy. For us, it was pretty much a dive-your-brains-out trip, so we mostly stayed at the resort (Anthony's Key, which is excellent) and did not do too much topside. West End can be fun. Dominica, like St. Lucia and other nearby islands, is really known for smaller critters. I was kind of disappointed in my first few dives in St. Lucia because I thought there was "nothing to see," until I learned to change my focus and look for little critters. The reefs in Dominica are reputed to be very healthy, but don't expect lots of big animals. Dominica is a volcanic island and there are supposed to be some interesting dive sites there where volcanic gasses bubble up through the sea floor. Visibility around these volcanic islands is a little less than places like Cozumel or the Caymans. The water is clear in Cozumel and the Caymans because they have no rivers, little soil, and not much rain. This means there is not much sediment in the water to reduce viz. Dominica and St. Lucia have rich volcanic soil, rivers to carry that soil to the sea, and relatively frequent rains. Viz is more likely to be in the 60' range. 80' would be a good day. Dominica is supposed to be a nature-lover's paradise, with mountains, rainforest, good hiking, and similar outdoor pursuits. If your idea of topside entertainment is duty-free shopping and a stop at Carlos 'n Charlies, neither Roatan nor Dominica is going to be very interesting. Neither of them has that kind of cruise-ship-driven development. We very much enjoyed our stay at Anthony's Key on Roatan, even when we weren't underwater, and the diving was great. We will go back again soon. Dominica sounds like an interesting place, particularly if you are into hiking and the outdoors. Based on our experience in St. Lucia, I would be interested in going to Dominica, too. If you really prefer to see big animals, I would say go to Roatan.

 

[pilot fish]

Divingjd, very good post. Very informative. I would disagree that Dominica diving is similar to St Lucia. Domininca is far better but you're right, not much big stuff.

I was talking about the diving on Roatans windward side, Fantasy Island, not much to see and poor reefs, not the leeward side. All those large whalesharks are more likely to be fond off Utilia, right? Yes, westend is fun and has more stuff topside than Dominica.

I haven't been to Dominica but I have been to Roatan. I have read a fair amount on Dominica and I understand the diving is very similar to St. Lucia, which I have visited. Roatan is a great place to dive. The diversity of marine life there is fantastic. It has more species of corals and fish than any other dive destination in the Caribbean. You have a good chance of seeing big animals. We saw whale sharks (it doesn't get any bigger than that), turtles, grouper, jacks, barracuda, squid, and lots of other stuff. I also did a shark dive (they feed the sharks to attract them) and saw a couple dozen sharks on that dive. Visibility is generally good, in the 80' range, sometimes better, sometimes down to 60' or so. The reefs are pretty healthy. For us, it was pretty much a dive-your-brains-out trip, so we mostly stayed at the resort (Anthony's Key, which is excellent) and did not do too much topside. West End can be fun. Dominica, like St. Lucia and other nearby islands, is really known for smaller critters. I was kind of disappointed in my first few dives in St. Lucia because I thought there was "nothing to see," until I learned to change my focus and look for little critters. The reefs in Dominica are reputed to be very healthy, but don't expect lots of big animals. Dominica is a volcanic island and there are supposed to be some interesting dive sites there where volcanic gasses bubble up through the sea floor. Visibility around these volcanic islands is a little less than places like Cozumel or the Caymans. The water is clear in Cozumel and the Caymans because they have no rivers, little soil, and not much rain. This means there is not much sediment in the water to reduce viz. Dominica and St. Lucia have rich volcanic soil, rivers to carry that soil to the sea, and relatively frequent rains. Viz is more likely to be in the 60' range. 80' would be a good day. Dominica is supposed to be a nature-lover's paradise, with mountains, rainforest, good hiking, and similar outdoor pursuits. If your idea of topside entertainment is duty-free shopping and a stop at Carlos 'n Charlies, neither Roatan nor Dominica is going to be very interesting. Neither of them has that kind of cruise-ship-driven development. We very much enjoyed our stay at Anthony's Key on Roatan, even when we weren't underwater, and the diving was great. We will go back again soon. Dominica sounds like an interesting place, particularly if you are into hiking and the outdoors. Based on our experience in St. Lucia, I would be interested in going to Dominica, too. If you really prefer to see big animals, I would say go to Roatan.

 

[divingjd]

We saw the whale sharks several times off the north side, not far from AKR. We dove the south side (Mary's Place and a couple of other sites), the west end, and the north side. I thought the reefs in all locations were in pretty good shape. Except for the sites like Mary's Place, where you have major fissures in the substrate, the formations aren't particularly spectacular, but the coral seemed to be in good shape.

 

[yakivet]

Been researching Roatan .. how does Dominica compare topside as well as under. I like larger marine life.

Hey Tuck-

Been to both. The Diving both places was great. I think Dominica is a little more off the beaten diving path. The locals seemed a little nicer, and are very accomodating. It is an island that supports its own food consumption, so lots of local dishes are served. It is an incredible island as far as rivers, water falls, hiking and topside Nature exploring. If you're after the "cultural experience", great diving, and topside adventure, Dominica would be my pick. Ken :42:

 

[Jcsgt]

I don't think you could go wrong with either. Just don't forget the bug spray, the no-see-ums are awful in Roatan.

 

[sasscuba]

Roatan but watch out for bugs!

 

[trigfunctions]

I thought the topside in Dominca was incredible! There are several large waterfalls that you can swim in after hiking through a rain forest. The entire island is beautiful. The diving is fantastic - the dark volcanic bottom makes a great contrast to the colorful corals and sponges. You can go on whale watching boat trips. Overall, we much preferred Dominica to Roatan.