| Ken's Hinterland Adventure Tours Southern Dive Sites The southern region is home to Dominica's most popular dive sites- and with good reason. The highlight of the south, the Soufriere Bay, is perhaps the most distinctive area of Dominican diving. The entire bay is formed and defined by the submerged crater of an underwater volcano. The east edge of the crater is the shoreline, while the south edge is the Scots Head promontory. The crater's north edge is submerged, but the underwater pinnacle nearly reaches the surface. The west edge of the crater is to deep for recreational diving. The Soufriere dive site reflects the volcanic action that created them; deep walls pinnacles massive boulders, chasms and gullies offer some of the island's most dramatic diving. Dive sites are also found off the southern coast in the Martinique channel, these are more challenging due to high current conditions, but offer highly variegated wall formation and greater chance to see deep-water pelagic. North of Soufriere Bay are several fascinating shallow sites, most based just off the shoreline. Des Fous. Directly off Pointe des Fous, this site represents some of the wildest diving Dominica has to offer. Des Fous sits farther east than other recognized Dominican dive site and is subject to rough seas and strong, potentially dangerous currents, it is suitable for only the very experienced diver. Just a few operators visit this site and only when conditions are favourable, usually just a few times a year. Divers who do get the opportunity are rewarded with a striking reef face and an abundance of life, including both schooling fish and pelagic. The dive plan varies according to the direction of the current. Divers normally descend on the east side, where a vertical wall begins in just 25ft. From there you move west with the current along the face of the wall, gradually descending to a coral shelf on the west side of the point. The wall is thickly overgrown, decorated with large sea fans, gorgonians, sponges and black coral. Overhangs provide shelter for schooling snapper and chub. On the point there is a small cave at 130ft, but penetration of this cubbyhole is not recommended. Check under the coral ledges for resting nurse sharks. Once you reach the shallow coral shelf, you can pass through a wave-etched arch or check out shallow hollows along the shoreline. Be cautious, as there can often be strong surge in the shallows. In general, be sure to keep an eye on the deep blue: The swift currents make if a favored area for white tip and mako sharks, large tuna, jacks and barracuda. Lost Horizons This narrow gully-a split in reef-leads out the blue water of the Martinique Channel. The gully is draped with thick clusters of deep-sea gorgonians Interspersed with stands of various types of sponges. Move to the right after you come out of the reef valley and you will find a steep but not quite vertical all. Huge barrel sponges, some easily 6ft tall and 3ft across, are a prominent feature of this enticing site. Large schools of fish meander in from the deep blue to visit the reef. The upper shelf, which is dominated by masses of sea fans, eventually leads to short overhanging walls rich with invertebrate growth, eventually, the walls drop to depths beyond Sport- diving limits. As with all sites in the Martinique Channel, strong currents are always possible. Location: Southeast of Scott’s Head Village Depth Range: 25-100ft (8-30m) Access: Boat Expertise Rating: Intermediate Suburbs Diving at Suburbs can be a thrilling experience, though there is potential for strong currents and heavy swells on the surface. The draw for divers is the wealth of life, particularly filter feeders such as sponges, gorgonians and crinoids. The sponges here have grown to monstrous sizes, as have the curtains of gorgonians. Fish life, generally large schools of snappers, black durgon, southern sennet and marauding barracudas, lurk in gaps in the reef. Turtles have been seen here, as have other larger life forms like the spotted eagle ray. The mooring sits at 47ft and is attached to the northern edge of the first shelf, a short wall draped with black coral drops to second narrow shelf at 55ft. Below the second shelf, the wall plunges vertically into the depths. The sites main focus is a large rocky outcropping extending from the western edge of the shelf, Gorgonians-draped overhangs on the outcropping and the walls shelter abundant of marine life. Location: Southeast of Scott’s Head Village Depths Range: 2-130ft (8-40m) Access: Boat Expertise Rating: Intermediate Village Village is not for the faint hearted or out-of- shape divers, Like Suburbs, Village may be subject to strong currents and this site in particular seem to have a stronger surge than many others. A shelf at about 35ft leads down to a nearly vertical wall, as it gets deeper the slope of the wall becomes more gradual as it drops into Martinique Channel. Three granite outcroppings, the first at 45ft, the second at 65ft and the final at around 85ft are dominant topographic features. On the eastern sides of this outcropping, you'll find large sea fans interspersed with small forest of deep- sea gorgonians; hard corals and sponge clusters also stand out. Look for schools of stalking barracudas hanging just on the edge of visibility, occasionally swooping in to get a closer look at divers. Also, keep and eye on the open water, as you never know what might swim past, even if nothing large materializes, the reef itself will provide enough action to keep you riveted. Location: South of Scott’s Head Village Depth Range: 35-130ft (11-40m) Access: Boat Expertise Rating: Advanced Condo Condo is a highly unusual site, the surrounding sand and rock bottom supports a community of large barrel sponges along with a healthy population of fish and smaller invertebrates. Smack- dab in the middle of this, is a massive rock with a circular, flat-topped shape, It is generally assumed that the stone was once part of the crater cap of the Soufriere volcano, when the volcano blow it's top. The crater cap fragmented and this piece was thrown over Scott’s head and into the sea, settling in sand where it now rests, sitting in about 55ft, the stone tops off at just 18ft. Currents can kick up a bit but the stone offers a lee side no matter what direction the currents are running. Cracks, crevices and narrow fissures run through the stone, creating perfect hideaways for smaller creatures and schooling fish. Look for the rare red-banded lobster; schooling blackbird soldier fish are common residents. The rock's exterior is adorned with thick growth of both soft and hard corals. Condo is a short dive: it takes only 2 minutes or so to explore the circumference. Try circling the stone at depths slowly and then again in the shallow depths, checking out the top on your final pass. Watch for the large southern stingray frequently sighted here. Location: South of Scott’s Head Point Depth Range: 18-55ft(6-17m) Access: Boat Expertise Rating: Intermediate Mountain Top About a mile southwest of Scott’s Head Point, this site is the top of the seamount rising from the depths of the Martinique Channel. Mountain Top is a relatively deep dive and, because of its unprotected location, is subject to strong currents, when conditions are right, however, it is a spectacular dive. The mooring is in 67ft and from there, the walls drop off on all sides into the deep blue, the seamount, with its overhangs, mini-walls and crevices, supports large and lush deep- sea gorgonians and black coral trees, as well as some very healthy hard corals. The open-water location attracts large schools of snappers, horse-eye jacks, larger barracuda and an occasional shark, turtle, southern stingray and manta ray. Check under ledges and crevices for lobster. This is a truly monster site with huge potential. If you are diving the south and have the requisite expertise, put it on the top of your request list! Location: About 1mile(1.5m) south of Scott’s Head Point Depth Range: 55130ft (17-40m) Access: Boat Expertise Rating: Advanced Swiss Cheese Part of the Scott’s Head Pinnacle complex, Swiss Cheese is a large granite rock named for the honeycomb- like structure of the reef. Riddled with nooks and crannies, Swiss Cheese provides shelter for a fascinating variety of schooling fish and invertebrate life, including sponges and deep-sea gorgonians, black bar soldier fish mix with large schools of grunts, Bermuda chub, barracuda, and the occasional southern stingray. Swiss Cheese can be done as a separate dive, but is often the entry and exit point of a Scott’s Head pinnacle dive, a swim-through at the bottom of the rock at 30ft emerges at 18ft, creating an ideal spot at the end of your dive. There is plenty of life to observe in shallow water near the peak of the rock while you get rid of a little nitrogen. Location: West of Scott’s Head Point Depth Range: 15-50ft(5-15m) Access: Boat Expertise Rating: Intermediate Cashacrou (Crater's Edge) Cashacrou sits on the westernmost dive able edge of the Soufriere crater, northwest of Scott’s Head. Here, nutrient- rich waters well up from the Martinique Channel, creating strong surge conditions as they wash over the shallow reef shelf. These waters provide an excellent feeding ground for fish and filter- feeding invertebrates. The short wall skirting Cashacrou is cloaked with deep- sea gorgonians sponges, and a crack at 90t is home to a large school of black Margate. The nutrient cycling fosters an abundant population of smaller critters, which in turn attract schools of larger fish. The schooling fish, of course, attracts larger predators from the deep, making this a great spot to witness the food chain in action, as they say, "de big fish eat de little fish" and so it goes on down the line. Location: West of Scott’s Head Point Depth Range: 30-90ft (9-27m) Access: Boat Expertise Rating: Intermediate Scott’s Head Point This site is just of the headland's point and has all the glories you come to expect from the southern region. Scott’s head point can be approached from two different directions, the north side is a vertical wall that starts in shallow water and drops into the heart of the crater . Despite the vertical wall, it is excellent for snorkeling because of the shallow reef areas at the top, currents here are usually minimal. A second approach is to dive the west edge, which has a vastly different topography than the north side, this side represents its violent volcanic origins with a field of massive granite outcropping scattered down the reef slope, creating canyons and gullies, here, current can be bit more severe. Both sides of the point boast an excellent marine population, one of the rare inhabitants is the red-banded lobster, a small lobster sighted more frequently here than anywhere else on the island. Location: North of Scott’s Head Point Depth Range: 7-90ft (2-27m) Access: Boat and shore Expertise Rating: Intermediate Scott’s Head Drop-off Scott’s Head Drop-off is a flexible site with easy shore access for snorkeling. Shore entry is from Trousable, a small beach at the base of the Scott’s Head peninsula, from there, you pass over a very shallow shelf before proceeding into deep water. This is the southern lip of the Soufriere crater and exhibits all the marine life and topographic characteristics associated with this area. The reef's many overhangs shelter schooling reef fish and smaller barracuda, Bermuda chub and boga. Bay. Local fishermen heavily use this area, so you will see fish traps and a lot of debris on the bottom, also passing yachts have done significant anchor damage. Many visiting divers are understandably alarmed and offended by the degradation of the site. It is important to understand that education about environmental concerns is a gradual but ongoing process. Awareness is growing and, with proper management, the site is expected to recover, fortunately, even in its present condition, this site offer enough marine life to keep a diver coming back again and again. Location: South side of Soufriere Bay, east of Scott’s Head Point Depth Range: 5-100ft(2-30m) Access: Boat or shore Expertise Rating: Intermediate Soufriere Pinnacles The Soufriere Pinnacles offer classic southern Dominica diving, here, three separate pinnacles rise from a shelf resting in 35ft, with the tallest coming to within just a few feet of the surface. Situated in front of Soufriere's picturesque Catholic Church, the site can be accessed either by boat or from the shore. The 300ft swim from shore passes over bubbling submerged hot springs and gas vent with plenty of tiny fish darting about. Easy access, shallow depths and fascinating structures make this site ideal for snorkelers. Divers can explore the west side of the pinnacles, which drop at a severe angle into the Soufriere crater. This west edge forms a potion the L'Abym wall, because of the site's proximity to Soufriere, one of Dominica's traditional fishing villages, coral growths at this site are less healthy than at more remote site and large fish are unusual. That said, Divers and snorkelers will discover loads of juvenile fish and a wealth of invertebrates such as golden crinoids, sea horses and frogfish are also frequently seen here. Location: West of Soufriere, in front the Catholic Church Depth Range: 5-100ft (2-30m) Access: Boat or shore Expertise Rating: Novice Sorciere This site sites directly off an isolated cliff known as La Souciere ("The Sorceress"). Legend holds that Carib men threw unfaithful mates to their deaths from the cliff. It is believed that the unfortunate women put a curse on the site- earning the cliff a bewitching name- and that the women's souls continue to hunt the area to this day. Another name for the cliff is Carib's Leap and more legend has is the Carib warriors threw themselves from the cliff rather than face enslavement by captors. Murder, suicide, and witchcraft aside, the reef below this cliff presents some hauntingly beautiful images, the mooring sits in about 15ft. Begin there and proceed west to the edge of what is a mostly vertical wall. Some areas offer narrow shelves but overhangs are uncommon and the wall quickly drops to 750ft. The fish life here is like that found in much of the area, with brown and blue chromis in the mid water, bigeyes and blackbar soldierfish in crevices, and lush invertebrate growth along the face of the wall. Overlapping plate corals tumble down the drop-off, interspersed with clusters of whip corals and some excellent sponge formations. Location: North side of Soufriere Bay Depth Range: 15-100ft(5-30m) Access: Boat Expertise Rating: Intermediate LAbym L'Abym (a Creole word meaning "the Deep") sits north of La Souciere and is one of the area's most vertical wall sites, running roughly north to south, the wall is about two miles long and stretches to La Souciere and beyond, extending almost to the Soufriere pinnacles. This is the easternmost edge of the Soufriere crater and wall plunges into the heart of the caldera, offering heart-stopping glimpses into the deep. Extensive life forms cling to the wall, high points include sizable black coral trees, deep- sea gorgonians and whip corals. Due to the deeper water, there is the possibility of encountering pelagic such as tuna, jacks, ray and turtles; smaller reef inhabitants are also prolific. Clouds of schooling midwater fish combine with the reef fish common to the area. Look on the face of the wall for sea horses wrapped around the bases and arms of gorgonians. Check for tiny fish nestling in the arms of anemones. Like many other Dominican sites, L'Abym is critter heaven and despite the difficulty of shooting on wall, is excellent for macro photography as well. Location: North side of Soufriere bay Depth Range: 10-130ft(3-40) Access: Boat Expertise Rating: Intermediate Coral Gardens South South of Dangleben's North of Dangleben's pinnacles, Coral Gardens South connects with both reefs, completing the areas reef system. With the mooring in just 12ft, the site can be explored by diver and snorkelers with equal satisfaction. Here you'll find the greatest variety of hard corals- upward of 17 varieties. A large rock under the mooring leads into a patch reef that is home to tons of invertebrates. The patch reef lead to an area combined with finger coral and rubble, which slopes west to a more solidly form reef. The site's numerous overhangs provide shelter for a variety of typical reef fish and invertebrates. Sea turtles are found here periodically. As the reef slopes to the west, the water gets deeper and sponge clusters get larger and more complex, eventually blending into the Dangleben's Pinnacle site on its northwest corner. Location: South of Pointe Guigard Depth Range: 12-15ft(-15m) Access: Boat Expertise Rating: Novice Dangleben's Pinnacles One of two sites named for the Dangleben family who own the land immediately adjacent, divers favor this site because of the varied terrain and marine life. Dangleben's Pinnacles consists of five separate pinnacles rising from the north edge of the Soufriere crater. Remarkably, each of the pinnacles supports different life forms. The pinnacles top off as shallow as 25ft and drop to a base shelf at about 60ft. On the south side, the pinnacles plummet into the heart of the crater, reaching depths beyond sport-diving limits. While there are similarities in fish life- look for schools of horse eye jacks, silversides and blackbar soldier fish- it is the larger sessile invertebrates that distinguishes one pinnacle from the other. On one wall you will find a forest of black coral trees, on the next, massive clusters of yellow tube sponges dominate. Others feature plate corals, finger coral gorgonians or other distinct forms. Watch for mantra rays, which have been sighted here on more than one occasion. This site cannot be adequately explored in a single dive. The varied terrain and marine life encourage many divers to visit over and over again. Location: ½ mile (.8km) south of Pointe Guignard Depth Range: 25-130ft (8-40m) Access: Boat Expertise Rating: Intermediate Dangleben's North Dangleben's North is the only reef system in the southern region that runs in an east-to- west orientation. The reef is formed by a granite extrusion from the shoreline that slops west and north to about 80ft. The southwest edge is a nearly vertical wall dropping into the depth of the crater. The mooring sits in 25ft of water and is surrounded by some superb sponge growth. The site is somewhat offshore, so it attracts larger schools of horse-eye-jacks, cero mackerel and southern sennet, as well as the standard schooling reef fish. Invertebrate life is prolific, encouraged by large deep-sea gorgonians and other sessile invertebrates. Location: South of Pointe Guignard Depth Range: 12-100ft(4-30m) Access: Boat Expertise Rating: Intermediate Pointe Guignard A small rocky headland protruding from the shoreline, Pointe Guignard is rich with marine life, from the surface down the point slopes to the bottom at 85 ft. Beyond this, the bottom is a sand flat that slopes gradually westward into the depths, but everything of real interest lies above 85ft. This site is exceptionally good for snorkeling- you can enjoy the explosion of color and activities near the surface and get a glimpse into the deeper territory, while avoiding the vertigo- inducing deep blue. The boat mooring sites south of the point in about 15ft of water, the site is accessible from shore but the walk down the cliff to the shoreline is rather long. Virtually every surface inch of the point's rocky substrate is covered with some form of life. Encrusting sponges and coral, sea anemones, black coral as shallow as 25ft and tons of small tropicals create a fascinating community. Sea- horses and frogfish are commonly found, as are lobsters, crabs and other creatures hiding in many cracks and crevices. One point of interest for divers is a narrow wave- cut cavern through the point at about 18ft. Inside the cut, which is 45ft long, check the ceiling and under the ledges for slipper lobster. Also of interest is another small cavern, which is home to a school of glassy sweepers, this cavern can be silty, so you should only venture into it if you have a fine command of buoyancy. Location: Off Pointe Guignard Depth Range: Surface-85ft (26m) Access: Boat or shore Expertise Rating: Novice Champagne This mostly shallow site is ideal for either scuba or snorkel exploration. It is named for the stream of bubbles that rises from a submerged volcanic gas vent called a fumarole. The ocean floor surrounding the small vent is stained a rust color due to the high mineral content of the gases. The site has three moorings: The northernmost lies at 10ft, the middle at 21ft and the southernmost at 30ft. Champagne can be accessed by boat or from the rocky shoreline, but parking can be somewhat limited. While the gas vent itself is interesting, the sites biggest draw is the life around it; this is a great place to see juveniles and adults of many species. Juvenile lobster and schooling fish, as well as large assortments of smaller tropicals, are commonly seen here. Also, small sponge and coral growth sprouts from the hard substrate beneath the thin layer of sand. Another point of interest is a wreck site just off Champagne, which dive operators have only recently begun to visit. Two wrecks, one metal and one wooden, lie adjacent to one another at 60-95ft. The metal wreck has been here of many years and is broken into several pieces. In 1994 the Debbie Flo, a wooden vessel confiscated for smuggling, was sunk at the site. Large sponges, curtains of soft coral and big barracuda are just some examples of marine life around the wrecks. Location: North of Pointe Guignard Depth Range: 5-90ft(2-27m) Access: Boat or shore Expertise Rating: Novice Text taken form 'Diving and Snorkeling in Dominica' by Michael Lawrence |
