A Douglas Bay site built on a flat plateau at 40 feet (12 m) where sand, sponges and corals run into each other, and which then drops sharply away to 120 feet (37 m). Cabrits Dive Centre describes sand and big coral patches at the foot of the drop, teeming with thousands of fish including some very large snapper.
Where it is and how deep
15.5972° N, 61.4651° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The plateau comes first: Cabrits Dive Centre puts it at 12 m (40 ft), a flat run of sand mixed with sponges and corals, easy ground to cover and easy ground to navigate. Then it ends. The plateau drops sharply away to 37 m (120 ft), and that edge is the feature of the site, giving the dive a clear line to follow and a clear place to turn around.
At the foot of the drop lie sand and big coral patches teeming with thousands of fish, including some very large snapper, which is why divers go over the edge rather than stay on top. The range of 35 to 120 feet, roughly 10.5 m to 36.5 m, covers the whole structure, so the deep patches go first and the rest of the dive runs back up on the plateau.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows Dominica: Diving is favourable all year; December to May is the driest and calmest stretch, and occasional summer rain does little to dive quality.
Know before you go
- The plateau edge falls to 36.5 m and a slope that steep pulls a dive deeper than planned; set the maximum depth before dropping over it.
Sources
- Diving in Dominica — Cabrits Dive Centre
More dive sites in Dominica
Muck & macro
Seahorses, batfish and flying gurnards under a cruise ship dock
Wall
Barrel sponges shaped like sharks' mouths, on a wall to 40 m
Swim-throughs between massive coral-covered boulders
Reef
A fallen boulder shaped like a hand, its top breaking the surface
Reef
A gentle glide over coral, the centre's dive to start a trip with
Reef
Volcanic gas bubbling out of hot, sulphur-stained sand
Cave & cavern
Coral archways, a cave and a canyon under Toucari Bay
Reef
Round Capucin Point from the Caribbean into the Atlantic
Similar dives elsewhere
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Reef fish crowd a shallow reef to 13 m, and manatees pass a few times a year
Taganga's main training ground, with a deeper wall close by
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A bronze mermaid and a landing-craft wreck on one shore dive