A wall around Cabrits National Park, named for the huge barrel sponges standing off it. Cabrits Dive Centre publishes 15 to 120 feet (up to 37 m) over what it calls a sharply descending slope of mixed soft and hard corals and brightly coloured sponges, with a gentle current usually present, and PADI lists the site going down to 40 m, for deep divers.
Where it is and how deep
15.5811° N, 61.4752° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The wall runs around Cabrits National Park, five minutes out from the dive centre, and Cabrits Dive Centre publishes the range as 15 to 120 feet, 4.5 m to about 37 m, over what it calls a sharply descending slope. PADI puts the bottom of the site at 40 m and lists it for deep divers, so the deep section comes first and stays short, and the rest of the dive is spent climbing the face.
The barrel sponges are the reason for the name: Cabrits Dive Centre describes them as huge and shaped like sharks' mouths, standing out of a mixture of soft and hard corals and brightly coloured sponges that covers the slope. The centre says there is usually a gentle current present, and the shallow end of the range at 4.5 m leaves reef to finish the dive over.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| 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 site reaches 40 m and PADI lists it for deep divers, so the deep section is a short, planned part of the dive rather than somewhere to linger.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Shark's Mouth?+
PADI lists the site going down to 40 m (130 ft) and marks it for deep divers. Cabrits Dive Centre publishes the working range as 15 to 120 feet, roughly 4.5 m to 37 m.
Why is it called Shark's Mouth?+
For the huge barrel sponges on the wall, which Cabrits Dive Centre says look like sharks' mouths. The site itself is a wall around Cabrits National Park, with soft and hard corals and brightly coloured sponges over a sharply descending slope.
Sources
- Diving in Dominica — Cabrits Dive Centre
- Shark's Mouth dive site — PADI
More dive sites in Dominica
Wreck
The Nadine L., a 17-metre wreck (55 feet) sunk in 2003 as a first wreck dive
Sand slope
A field of sea pens standing up out of the sand like white feathers
Reef
A sand plateau at 11 m (35 ft) with the wall dropping off its edge
Muck & macro
Seahorses, batfish and flying gurnards under a cruise ship dock
Swim-throughs between massive coral-covered boulders
Reef
A fallen boulder shaped like a hand, its top breaking the surface
Reef
A flat coral plateau at 12 m (40 ft) that drops sharply to 120
Reef
A gentle glide over coral, the centre's dive to start a trip with
Similar dives elsewhere
Rare black coral among sea fans and bottlebrush corals
Canyons through the reef, five minutes from the fishermen's dock
Elkhorn and pillar coral on a bank above a deep reef drop
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Elephant ear, barrel and stove pipe sponges on one wall