Dominica is famously known as the Caribbean's “Nature Island,” home to a treasure trove of unique natural attractions and eco-adventures. It is a land where the Caribbean's longest hiking trail traverses across rainforest-clad peaks and lush valleys, 365 rivers cascade to the sea, landscapes shaped by volcanic activity induce steaming fumaroles, and warm mineral springs plus a boiling lake are found nowhere else.
Learn more about Diving in Dominica.
And divers are doubly blessed in Dominica, as the waters surrounding the island are equally as intriguing as the land, delivering an assortment of underwater landscapes shaped by the island's volcanic past. The crown jewel of Dominica's underwater offerings is the Scott’s Head Marine Reserve, which is often cited as one of the premier diving destinations in the Caribbean.
Located on the island's southwestern coast, just offshore of the picturesque fishing village of Soufriere, the reserve encompasses the vast submerged crater of a long-extinct volcano. Within the crater, seascapes shaped by fire, water and coral growth include walls, canyons, caverns, precipitous pinnacles, and photo-worthy arches. These terrains support a wide variety of marine life, including several iconic and rare creatures.
The Scott's Head Crater, with decades of protection and proactive stewardship has had sites kept within the reserve in near-pristine condition, providing divers with a window into one of the Caribbean's most interesting underwater ecosystems.
Diving Highlights
The Scotts Head Marine Reserve can be enjoyed by divers of all experience levels, as it encompasses a wide range of underwater landscapes and activities. Novice-friendly sites such as Point Guignard add intriguing swim-throughs, caverns, and arches. La Sorciere is known for its abundance of macro life, and for a dramatic cliff face known as The Abyss that drops from 40 feet to depths of a half mile, providing an ideal introduction to wall diving.
A signature feature of the Scotts Head Reserve are the numerous volcanic pinnacles that rise to shallow depths. At the site known as Danglebens Pinnacles, five volcanic spires rise to within 35 feet of the surface. The mild currents that wash this site attract schooling fish and nurture a wealth of coral, sponges and anemone growth. The carpets of life that cover the spires in turn provide habitat for macro treasures. Keen-eyed divers stand a good chance of finding a seahorse or a cryptic frogfish.
The Reserve's most famous formation is its namesake Scott's Head Pinnacle. A tour of this site typically begins in a pockmarked rock face known as the Swiss Cheese, which leads divers through a shadowed arch filled with hovering schools of soldier fish. Divers then follow a coral trail to the pinnacle itself, where they will find an arch that opens to reveal the sheer face of the crater. This wall displays a thick covering of sea fans and plummets into unseen depths.
More advanced dives within the reserve include a visit to a spire known as the Mountain Top, which rises above the surface, with underwater surfaces perforated by crevasses, caverns, and grottoes. Divers can traverse a volcanic ridge at Crater's Edge or a visit to the wall of Scott's Head Dropoff, where there's a chance to sight larger marine life patrolling on the boundary between Caribbean and Atlantic waters. Currents at these and other sites in the area can range from null to strong, creating opportunities for exhilarating drift dives.
Diving the Reserve with Nature Island
A favorite choice for discovering the sites of Scott’s Head Marine Reserve is Nature Island Dive. This boutique dive operator is located in the village of Soufriere and is just minutes away by boat from all the top sites in the reserve.
Nature Island Dive specializes in hosting small groups and in creating personalized dive itineraries. Instruction, specialty certifications, snorkeling and free diving programs are also offered. Their team has been providing diving services in Soufriere for nearly three decades, is active in reef surveys, monitoring, mooring maintenance, lionfish control, as well as coral conservation projects that treat for coral disease and the maintenance of coral trees.
Dive guides share a wealth of knowledge on marine life, photo opportunities and optimal dive planning. The shop operates a pair of dive boats, a 16 passenger and a 8 passenger dive boat, and maintains a shore facility that includes the on-site Bottom Time Cafe for relaxation before or after the dive. A signature offering at the cafe is their lionfish sandwich, which gives divers an opportunity to become part of the solution in a delicious fashion.
Nature Island Dive works with several small hotels in the nearby Soufriere area. A favorite with many divers is the Jungle Bay Resort and Spa. With spectacular views of the Caribbean from the hotel, this intimate property offers not only diving packages, but also a range of adventure, health, wellness and yoga activities.
Watch this presentation about Jungle Bay and Nature Island Dive.
Caradonna works with both Nature Island Dive and Jungle Bay and can custom-tailor your vacation package. Get in touch with one of our agents to discover your own Dominica diving delights by emailing us at sales@caradonna.com.