Dominica · Dominica · Wall
Scott's Head Drop-off
A sponge-covered wall dived anywhere from 12 to 30 m
Photo: Liam Quinn · CC BY-SA 2.0
The wall at the southern tip of the island, where the ground under Scott's Head falls away and the face is covered in vase, tube and rope sponges from about 12 m down to 30 m. It is a boat dive worth doing at any depth in that band, and it finishes with a safety stop that both PADI and Dive Dominica single out as a highlight in itself.
Also known as Scotts Head Point.
Where it is and how deep
15.2144° N, 61.3718° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The boat drops you at the point where the island runs out. The wall is the whole dive, and Dive Dominica rates it at any depth from 12 to 30 m, so the profile is a choice made on the day rather than one the site forces on you. You swim along the face rather than down it, with the rock on one shoulder and open water on the other.
Look into the wall rather than out from it. The face is worked with small nooks and crannies that hide lobster, crabs and several different kinds of cleaner shrimp, and turtles pass along the drop-off. The dive ends with a safety stop that carries enough colour and life that Dive Dominica calls it worth the trip on its own.
Marine life and season
- Whales
- Dolphins
- Sea turtles
- Macro critters
| 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 wall drops away with no bottom in view, so agree a maximum depth before you go in and use the face itself as the reference — it is easy to slide deeper than planned on a dive with no floor.
Photos from Scott's Head Drop-off
Riba · CC BY-SA 3.0
Liam Quinn · CC BY-SA 2.0
Riba · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dive videos
Scott's Head Dropoff · DwayneSpacemont on YouTube
Dominica - Octopus at Scott's Head Drop off · Caribbean Dream Destinations on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Scott's Head Drop-off?+
The wall is dived between about 12 and 30 m, and Dive Dominica says it is worth diving anywhere in that band. PADI lists Advanced Open Water among the useful training for the site.
Can you shore dive Scott's Head Drop-off?+
No. PADI lists boat as the only entry for the site, which sits off the southern tip of the island at Scott's Head.
Sources
- Scotts Head Point dive site — PADI
- Dominica Dive Sites — Dive Dominica
Photo credits
- Aerial view of the Scott's Head peninsula and its narrow sandbar reaching into turquoise water by Liam Quinn, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cliff at Scott's Head dropping into a turquoise reef shallows with swimmers near the rock face by Riba, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- The village of Scotts Head seen from the peninsula, with the coastline curving toward the point by Liam Quinn, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Old cannon at the ruined fort on Scott's Head overlooking the bay and dive site below by Riba, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
- The best wall dives in the worldWalls & drop-offs · 11 min read
- Where can you legally swim with whales?Big animals · 14 min read
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A drop-off dive over one of Utila's coral nurseries