22 replies to this topic

[WreckWench]

HOLY COW BATMAN?!?!*&%@!?

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!

JUMPING JEHOSOPHAT....


Did you know that Dominica is what the Caribbean was 40 years ago? It is truly pristine and unspoiled...not a drop of pollution based algae in the first few days of diving! The people are genuine and friendly...not just to get your money. The landscape is WILD and UNTAMED!!! Titou Gorge and Trafalgar Falls are drop dead gorgeous and an easy 20 minute walk to explore for yourself. The island's official language is English...Dollars are easy to use...they offer both 110 and 220 v electricity. The island is CLEAN, poverty is less than on many other islands, and the food is very good. What more could you want??? Prices are reasonable although air is a bit high...but where isn't it?

The ONLY drawback I've found so far is... It takes 2 days to get there UNLESS you live in Florida or NY/NJ. Otherwise you'll spend one day to get to Miami or SJU and then the next day to get to Dominica. BUT HOLY COW...

The locals say... "If it we easy to get here...it would look like the rest of the Caribbean!"


AIN'T THAT THAT THE TRUTH!!!


Sample Dives:

Dive One of Day Two:

1 turtle early in the dive willing to allow peeps to take pictures
2 turtles about mid-dive that played together and allowed LOTS of pictures and video
The same 2 turtles at the end of the dive allowed a few more encounters for those willing to play.

Dive Two of Day Tow:

1 seahorse
1 small black frog fish
1 large black frog fish
ANOTHER seahorse and frogfish TOGETHER
1 seahorse

Shorediving so far...

The shorediving is a type of Caribbean 'much diving'. The sandy area has pockets of coral but not a large reef structure. It does not need it...the most amazing life is in plain view right in the sand!

Batfish (the kind on 2 legs that waddle when they walk)
seahorses
frog fish
rays
and more...


Stay tuned for more reports and pictures to follow soon. One of our members on this trip is on his 3rd trip to Dominica...and one of our members on this trip is on his seventh trip! (I'm starting to see why!)

Several members have asked when we are doing it again? And this only after 2 days. And our diveguides say it ONLY gets BETTER!!!

[scubaski]

Inquiring minds would like to know what the water temp average would be @ 100'. Have Fun!!

[WreckWench]

Water temps have been 85 with some mixing of cooler water at depths on some dives. But ALL warm and its only May!!! er I mean PERFECT!!!!

[WreckWench]

Day 3...


MORE TURTLES including turtles MATING!!! And yes I got it on film...well most of it... and if one of you will help me figure out how to set up a utube account I'll get them uploaded. In the meantime I think I can load them to the site as well. Will work on figuring that out too!

MORE SEAHORSES... we saw MORE Seahorses yesterday!!!


NIGHT DIVE... YES I did a night dive. It was a guided shore nightdive but our awesome dive staff here and while the shorediving is patches of coral and rocks...it ROCKS AND TEEMS WITH LIFE!!!

We saw...

• A type of small ray I've never seen before (5 or 6 of them)
• A batfish and I caught it EATING on video! (Also first ever pictures and video)
• LOTS of eels
• A type of eel that lives under the sand and is aggressive - ALSO A NEW FIND FOR ME
• 2 slipper lobsters
• LOTS of spiny lobsters including a new species I've not seen before
• crab
• octopus
• SQUID...and he danced for me and changed colors...and yes I filmed that too!
• Turtle
• and MORE....

And you all KNOW how I feel about night dives! LOL! I think I'll do another one...that is how good it was! Kamala

[scubaski]

"and if one of you will help me figure out how to set up a utube account I'll get them uploaded"
PM'd directions and video tutorial. 30-45 min should do it.

[WreckWench]

"and if one of you will help me figure out how to set up a utube account I'll get them uploaded"
PM'd directions and video tutorial. 30-45 min should do it.

Of course you rock ScubaSki,,,,

[WreckWench]

A picture says a 1000 words so I'm making an effort to upload some of my shots from just day 1...

I was blown away by the diversity, beauty and quantity of critters and GORGEOUS MEGA HEALTHY CORAL & SPONGES!!!


THE CRITTERS:

[WreckWench]

THE COLORS:

[rkymtwy]

Looks great! If you are starting a list for the next trip to Dominica put me on it!

[WreckWench]

Looks great! If you are starting a list for the next trip to Dominica put me on it!

You read my mind...I'm negotiating to do a Single's Week next year here! I have fallen in love with this place. Yes its challenging to get here...and its not cheap (but then where is anymore)?

BUT THE DIVING IS THE BEST IN THE CARIBBEAN I'VE EVER SEEN!!!!

[WreckWench]

Ok you all know I have a rinky dink little camera but I love my new solo lights and you can see they have helped my pictures a LOT!! That and having GREAT SUBJECT MATTER!!!

So please do not grade my pics too harshly....BUT KEEP IN MIND EVEN AVERAGE PHOTOGS CAN GET GREAT SHOTS HERE! There is THAT much life and marine diversity!

[WreckWench]

Ok so you all know how much I love night dives... NOT!!! But this was not only one of my all time favorite night dives but it was a shoredive in front of the hotel... SUHWEET!!!

ENJOY...(sorry my squid did not turn out as I would have liked...they just would not slow down for my simple little camera!)

Spoon billed snake eel... a first for me!

[WreckWench]

WE'RE BACK!!!

By now almost everyone is home or nearly home. NO it is not easy to get to Domminica nor is it easy to get home UNLESS you live in South Florida, Boston, or EWR/JFK. Otherwise you have to overnight in Miami or San Juan. There is ONE AA Eagle flight to Dominica a day and 1 AA Eagle Flight return. All flights route via San Juan.


BUT...IF IT WERE EASY TO GET THERE...THE DIVING WOULD LOOK LIKE THE REST OF THE CARIBBEAN!!!

Here are 'MY' Pros and Cons of Dominica:


Pros:

• The biggest Hotels NEAR THE DIVE OPERATOR have only 14-17 rooms so at full capacity can only hold 28-34 people.
• The flight leaves at 3pm so you can get a full day of diving in the DAY before leaving.
• The restaurants and hotels are all family owned and Dominica still has a 'personal touch'
• The diving is the BEST I've ever seen on this side of the world AND compares easily to diving across the pond. (I just dove Palau and Truk and was so worried I would be bored diving Dominica but I saw things in Dominica I have NEVER SEEN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!!!!)
• The shorediving has critters that are mind boggling and some of the best pictures were would under the dock or nearby it.
• Did I mention they allow 24 hr shorediving? (Just need to be responsible!)
• The QUANTITY of marine life is almost overwhelming. Not just 1 seahorse but at least 5 dives with seahorses on them. Not just one turtle but at least half the dives with turtles or more. Not just one juvie drum fish but multiple on the same dive and probably at least one at over half the dives. You get the idea... TONS OF MARINE LIFE!!!
• Health reefs...AMAZINGLY healthy reefs! With so many beautiful colors and types of sponges and coral that its hard to see any evidence of man...but there are peeks...like the mooring pins, or a rare piece of trash or the minute amount of red pollution based algae that we saw.
• NO LIONFISH were seen or present!
• There were TONS of eco tours and cultural tours that you could do so diving wasn't the only entertainment on the island.
• The owners are personally involved with every aspect of your stay and experience
• You get the idea...its amazing here!!!

Have I thanked Larry aka Orcaman and Bruce aka ScubaShafer for telling me over and over and over again that I should do this trip? And have I thanked ScubaShafer AGAIN for his amazing images that helped to show the beauty of this trip in the sign up thread? ....probably not and I'm remiss for not doing it again! Bruce!!!


Cons:

• The biggest Hotels NEAR THE DIVE OPERATOR have only 14-17 rooms so at full capacity can only hold 28-34 people.(So if you want bigger island amenities they just aren't available with close proximity to the dive shop and best shorediving.) Many of the hotels are kitschy, pretty charming and a bit shabby sheik...and that is negative for some...positive for others.
• Restaurants near the hotel were either understaffed, underserved food wise as they would run out of things...and all were just plain slow on service. Partially due to everything being cooked from scratch and partially cuz is an 'island'. (Restaurants near town did better but usually they were not serving a large group either.)
• That most people have to overnight in MIA or SJU on the way down and the way back to make the trip work.
• Pricing was a bit high for built in amenities but more reasonable for ad-hoc expenditures.
• There is very little competition on the island which is usually a good thing but competition usually drives prices lower and service higher. For the most part this was not a problem.
• It was a bit challenging to walk to town but not impossible if you wanted a small hike.
• It is an hour transfer from the airport to the hotel and back. Not so bad if you stop and break up the ride.
• We had to come home after the fastest week I've dove in a long time.
• No real swimming pool at the hotel...just a soaking pool.

[WreckWench]

Ok finished uploading pics from another two days of diving....

The marine life is sooooooooooooo healthy! AMAZING!!! -ww


The Critters:
















































The Colors:








The Special Moments aka Deborah aka DiveWhiileYouCan's 500th Dive:

[orcaman]

AAAAAAAHHHHHH! Where to start, D stands for Domenica, D stands for Beauty, that is how one of the locals put it to me on one of my previous 7 trips to Domenica, Seven you may ask, why would anyone go to one place 7 times, well my friends, go just one time as our fearless leader the WW did and you will know why. I have been telling her how great it is and trying to get her to do and SD trip for at least 5 of those and finally it happened, although I was a little disappointed in the number of members who went, but for those of you who missed it, well you missed IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was just as beautiful as I remembered and the people of Domenica just as friendly, you will not find a better hotel or dive staff than Dive Domenica. They treat you like family, and will keep you in stitches with their good natured humor. After 4 years absence, they still said Hi, Larry, great to have you back, and after one visit you will see what I am talking about. I will not go on about the critters, the corals, the sponges, the reefs, the Wench has already done a better job there with prose and picture than I ever could. But she did not mention other things about the island, such as the lush rain forests, the 365 rivers or the steamy foumeroles, the adventurous drives around the island, the tours like the memorable one we did to Ti-tou Gorge that anyone one the trip will eagerly tell you how beautiful it was. There is also one of two boiling lakes in the whole wide world on the island, the other being in New Zealand, this hike thought is not for the faint of heart, takes about 8 hours, but totally worth it if you are physically and mentally able. No one on this trip made it, but on a previous trip I did, enough said.
So again D stand for beauty, and D stands for Domenica, IF we do not see there next time, U will miss IT!!!!!