Review - Nature Island Dive, Dominica

[w&k]

Dive review – Nature Island Dive, Dominica

November 27, 2004 (Celebrity Zenith)

 

Rating of 1-5 stars:

Overall *****

 

People *****

Equipment ****

Diving ***** (Reef ***** 64 ft/51 min Reef ***** 57ft/48min)

 

Nature Island Divers will DEFINITELY be my contacted operation when diving Dominica.

 

Personal dive biases: I am a Floridian with >300 dives, certification through rescue. My diving experience has been under all sorts of conditions, but I no longer dive rough, deep or cold water (why bother?), and avoid weekend warriors whenever possible. My diving preference is drifting on reefs, and I have been known to bring home a bug or two.

 

Dominica was a welcome, if originally unscheduled, stop for this cruise – The original port of call was Grenada, which was unfortunately flattened by Hurricanes this year.

 

I found Nature Island Divers on tips from Cruise Critic and Scubaboard.com. I submitted a booking form because they were listed as diving the marine reserve, which I thought would be incredibly beautiful. I also liked the clean, functional website. http://www.natureislanddive.com All correspondence by E-mail was prompt and courteous, and Karen said that we would be picked up at the ship.

 

We got off the ship with two extra divers this time, and loitered around the gate waiting for our pickup. Karen arrived a little late because their van had broken down, and she had hired a van taxi to take us to the shop. We then had a very beautiful and thrilling ride up and back down a mountain (eek!) to the shop, which is literally across the street from a little beach directly on the marine reserve.

 

DM Weefy, the captain, and some helpers hoisted our gear out of the van and carried it down the beach and dock to the boat. We headed into the ‘shop’ to do paperwork and those that needed it got set up with rental gear (Scubapro). Storage was available for personal stuff. Tables and chairs were set up, with a beautiful breeze floating through and a nice little garden out front – very relaxing! Weefy surveyed all of us for experience level and special needs.

 

When everyone was set up, we headed across the street to the beach and floating dock. The dock was constructed out of hollow plastic blocks and connectors, and walking upright on the dock without staggering around is definitely an acquired talent. I was helped up onto the dock and walked down by DM Weefy. The boat was a pontoon with plenty of shade, and lots of room on the engine box to spread out rumps and get small gear set up. 7 divers (our group was 5, +2 from a hotel) + DM + captain.

 

On the way out to the first site, we set up our BCs and regs, and got comfy. DM Weefy held a dive briefing on the first site, champagne reef. He said that the viz was down because of their recent rain and an earthquake two days before. Despite this, viz was a slightly cloudy 80, water a pleasantly cool ~83. Weefy took some time getting the less-experienced members of the group comfortable in the water, while keeping an eye on the rest of us until he was satisfied that we were fine. The dive was Gorgeous, Gorgeous, Gorgeous! Absolutely museum-quality corals & crinoids, and too many varieties of sponges to believe. We saw various busy urchins and anemones, several fireworms, lots of banded shrimp, and a sharp-tailed eel! Also, lots of babies – fry in crevices, juvenile fish and morays. We ended the dive at the snorkeling section of Champagne. Volcanic bubbles come up through the bottom, and the warm water felt wonderful! The climb back up onto the boat was fairly easy, and we rode back to the shop for the surface interval. There are no rinse tanks on the boat – so bring some fresh water if you want to rinse off your camera lenses immediately.

 

We spent our surface interval at the shop, swapping dive stories. Next door, there was a shop where we got cold sodas, and we received change in the local currency. When Keith went back to return the bottles, the owner said he had overcharged us by mistake, and gave him back some more local money as well as the deposit. True to ‘Island Time,’ eventually Weefy and the captain came back, and we staggered back onto the boat and headed for site #2.

 

Site #2 was a series of beautiful ledges, viz ~90, water temp ~82. Lots of fish grouped on top of and under the ledges. The usual suspects were well-represented, with cruising schools of sergeant-majors, assorted grunts, soldierfish, trumpetfish, tangs, etc. On top, again a profusion of hard and soft corals competing for space with sponges and crinoids. Absolutely fabulous! We ended the dive on a small pinnacle with a mooring buoy, and I could have stayed there all day long. I must have swum around the top of the area 20 times, and saw something new on each pass. Absolutely INCREDIBLE diving!

 

We went back to the shop, rinsed gear in the courtyard and rinsed ourselves off in the outside showers. When we were repacked, we climbed in the waiting taxi van, and were taken back to the ship.

 

Another off the beaten track operation that is devoted to personal service and excellent diving. I may even have to resort to using a non-preferred cruise line to get back there again! They have a villa available for rent, and it looks beautiful for those that are adventurous.

 

Wendy

 

Check out the photos at http://community.webshots.com/user/wendyandkeith