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 the centre describes sand and big coral patches teeming with thousands of fish, including some very large snapper, which is the reason to go over the edge rather than stay on top. The published range, 35 to 120 feet or 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 | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows Dominica: November–May gives calmer seas and the best sperm whale sightings; September–October bring the heaviest rain and hurricane risk.
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
Wreck
The Nadine L., a 17-metre wreck (55 feet) sunk in 2003 as a first wreck dive
Reef
A safety stop spent inside a field of volcanic bubbles
Swim-throughs between massive coral-covered boulders
Sand slope
A field of sea pens standing up out of the sand like white feathers
Reef
A fallen boulder shaped like a hand, its top breaking the surface
A wall for all levels, starting on a shelf at 8 m
Reef
Round Capucin Point from the Caribbean into the Atlantic
Muck & macro
Seahorses, batfish and flying gurnards under a cruise ship dock
Similar dives elsewhere
Frogfish and snake eels on a shallow reef minutes from town
Taganga's main training ground, with a deeper wall close by
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A gentle terrace of coral and sand at Klein Bonaire's west end
Jawfish and blennies in the rubble off Klein Bonaire