Dominica · Dominica · Pinnacle · Wall
Scott's Head Pinnacle
A swim-through at 11 m and a crater wall past 37 m
Photo: amanderson2 · CC BY 2.0
A pinnacle standing inside the flooded volcanic crater of Soufriere Bay, off Scott's Head at Dominica's southern tip. A swim-through cuts through it at 11 m, and on the crater side a steep wall falls past 37 m under deepwater sea fans and other gorgonians. Dive Dominica calls it one of the island's most famous sites, and divers regularly ask to repeat it.
Also known as Soufriere Pinnacle, Swiss Cheese.
Where it is and how deep
15.2291° N, 61.3659° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive begins on Swiss Cheese, a large rock formation that holds the well-known Soldierfish Cave. It is not actually a cave but a swim-through, and it is usually packed: soldierfish and grunts form a curtain in front of you that parts briefly to swallow you into the school as you pass through. From there you cross a flat area of coral-encrusted rock formations that leads to the pinnacle itself.
At a depth of only 11 m a second swim-through bisects the pinnacle and brings you out on the other side, where the ground changes. Here the inside of the volcanic crater drops away as a steep wall falling past 37 m, dominated by deepwater sea fans and other colourful gorgonians. Blackbar soldierfish, grunts and lobster live in the swim-through itself, so it is worth slowing down inside it rather than swimming straight through.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
- 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 crater wall falls past 37 m with no floor in sight; set a maximum depth before you drop in and watch your gas on the deep leg.
Sources
- Dominica Dive Sites — Dive Dominica
- OpenStreetMap: Soufriere Bay — OpenStreetMap
Photo credits
- Underwater rock formation covered in yellow tube sponges and encrusting coral on the pinnacle by amanderson2, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
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Round Capucin Point from the Caribbean into the Atlantic
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