10 eco wonderlands

By Ty Sawyer and Jackie D’Antonio

There’s a ring around the globe — a lush green band that undulates and reaches out from either side of the equator into a world dominated by blue. Along this ribbon the strong hand of nature has formed and molded verdant, feral, flourishing landscapes that rival the beauty of the abundant seas they press against.

In these eco-wonderlands, silvery-white ribbons of water slip through dense rainforests, volcanic lakes gurgle with a suppressed tension, and myriad animals live uninterrupted lives as they have for eons. These are also places where great civilizations have arisen only to fall into obscurity, hidden by thick vines and shadows. Deep-blue adventurers and trailblazing explorers seek out these unique places that spur our desire to fill each moment with the experience of a lifetime.

DOMINICA
The roots of Dominica tap directly into the molten core of the earth: The land runs hot. Nestled near the peak of Morne Nicholls, the Valley of Desolation unfolds below the clouds of steam that rise from the surface of Boiling Lake, the world’s second-largest thermally active lake. The lush green hillsides roar with waterfalls, and underwater gas vents release tiny streams of champagne bubbles, especially at sites like Sulphur Springs off the north coast.

I’m an adventure, nature and dive junkie, and the first time I sailed into Dominica I couldn’t believe it was real. Truth be told, I’m not much for islands and dive destinations that don’t have that “Gilligan” feel. I like thick canopies of foliage that press against the shoreline and crowd the hillsides. I like feeling a sense of the remote, something primal and even mysterious. And even though Dominica is actually quite small, as islands go, in some corners exploration is best left to the professionals.

Slide show   A Mermaid’s Playground Presented by Sport Diver Magazine. more photos

But as much as this “Nature Island” has for the terrestrial wanderers, the surrounding underwater realm is at least as impressive: It positively comes to life with frogfish, flying gurnards, snake eels, sea turtles, thick aggregations of soldierfish, rivers of creole wrasse and a kingdom of invertebrates. Despite the runoff, viz remains high because the island juts out of the blue folds of the Caribbean like a bullet, with steep slopes for the nutrients to flow over.

The nutrients are like steroids for filter feeders, which seem to grow to the very limits of their abilities. Sponges seem to have an extra bit of inner light on Dominica’s reefs, too. Walls and pinnacles dominate the seascape, and they lack the deep cracks and hideaway crevices typical of most reefs, so life plays out in the open -- lots of life. The most popular diving is just off the southern end of the island; sites like Suburbs are high on divers’ lists. Currents here bring divisions, brigades and whole companies of fish life. Gray snappers, grunts and barracuda really go to school here; sennets flow over the reef. Nothing tops the sponges, though; they’re simply massive.

One of my favorite haunts is a site with the ominous name The Sorceress (La Sorciere). Despite the alleged curse put on this site (or perhaps because of it), I fall under its spell every time I dive it. Abundant invertebrates drape themselves down the wall, and the ever-present chromis and blackbar soldierfish seem to have found a permanent, bewitching home.

If there’s one dive to do again and again, though, it’s Scott’s Head Pinnacle. Dropping off from 35 feet to about 120 feet in the sand, it drips with curtains of sea fans and gorgonians. Take time to search out the small critters that abound here. The highlight of this dive involves parting a sea of blackbar soldierfish and elbowing family-sized lobster while you fin down a swim-through that bisects the pinnacle. Blue and brown chromis have settled in like a permanent snow flurry over the corals. Toward evening, the water runs purple as waterfalls of creole wrasse course over the reef.

There is also a unique attraction off the island’s Atlantic side: sperm whales. While Ahab was traipsing about the Pacific cursing Moby Dick, a permanent pod of sperm whales was taking up residence in the deep waters off Dominica. Though the pod is made up mostly of females and calves, the males show up during mating season. If you’re lucky enough to have an in-water encounter, it’ll be one more addition to the long list of memories of Dominica that you won’t soon forget.

Must Do: Old Boiler
Get a touch (and smell) of the primal nature of the earth at Boiling Lake high above Titou Gorge near Morne Nicholls

Must Dives:
Champagne
Scott’s Head Pinnacle
Suburbs
Crater’s Edge
Scott’s Head Drop-off

FOR MORE INFO

Castle Comfort Lodge/Dive Dominica
4-7 night dive/lodging packages are available. Boat diving, unlimited shore dives, breakfast and dinner included; pool, hot tub and ocean-view bar on premises. Onsite PADI Dive Center (Dive Dominica) Nitrox, whale watching, discover scuba, referral certifications, equipment rentals, five Dive Boats (57 to 30 feet in length) 888-414-7626, www.castlecomfortdivelodge.com.

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