Scuba Divers Guide to Dominica

iStockphotoYellowtail snapper swim past a barrel sponge off Dominica
Average water temp: Summer temps are in the low 80s; winter temps can drop into the mid-70s.
What to wear: 3 mm to 5 mm wetsuit, depending on time of year
Average viz: 80 feet
When to go: Year-round; January to May is the dry season, and visibility tends to be better.
TOP DIVE SITES IN DOMINICA
L’Abym
Also called La Sorcière; drop down on a steep underwater cliff (L’Abym means “The Abyss”). Poke around in the reef’s nooks and crannies — this is an island known for its whale encounters, but think tiny at this site. Those with a keen eye will be rewarded with seahorse and other macro-life sightings.
Scott’s Head Drop-Off
What a treat this site is: The wall is like a birthday cake, festooned with colorful azure vase sponges and macro critters; the jump-out-of- the-cake surprise is a show-stopping spectacle of marine life on a plateau where you end the dive.
Soufriere Pinnacles
Drop into a coral-and sponge-decorated cleft in the reef, and then drift to a shallow depression dubbed “Fish Bowl” by our divemasters; it’s a protected shelter for tropical fish, including sergeant majors. buddydivedominica.com
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