Submitted by Evan Driscoll on the 2018 winter session program in Dominica sponsored by the Department of Geography and Department of Applied Economics and Statistics…
After two weeks in Dominica, things have settled down a bit now that there is a somewhat established routine, though each day continues to be exciting and full of surprises. The day starts with breakfast at 8:00 AM, which has varied greatly. We’ve eaten eggs, toast, porridge (a Dominican dish similar to cream of wheat), zucchini accra (essentially zucchini fritters), corned beef, a double-decker bacon and egg sandwich, and more. We then have class from 9:00 AM until noon, and there is an excursion afterwards.
A highlight for me was Middleham Falls. We hiked through the rain on a steep and rocky trail. The precipitation really picked up towards the end of the hike, which worsened the condition of the already muddy trails. My clothes were wet and my were shoes covered in mud by the end. It was difficult to navigate, but I enjoyed the challenge, and it was all worth it when we reached the waterfall. Middleham Falls is a 175-foot waterfall that feeds into a small pool where you can swim in the cool waters. We climbed down the rocks to reach the water and spent around 45 minutes swimming. The water was very refreshing and it was a blast to swim in. We then began the return hike, which went faster than the first leg.
This Saturday, we had our “Ocean Experience” in which we snorkeled at Champagne Beach and then saw sperm whales and dolphins out at sea. The Champagne Beach got its name from the continuous stream of bubbles coming from the volcanic activity below the seafloor. There was a lot of colorful coral and sea life.
We also went whale watching, and saw sperm whales and learned a lot about the animals. An interesting fact is that sperm whales exhibit some of the greatest sexual dimorphism in nature, meaning that the males are nearly twice the size of females. While the whales were interesting to see, the highlight of the entire program for me so far was seeing the dolphins.
I was just about to doze off aboard the ship when I heard a commotion from the front of the boat. I looked to the right and saw dolphins jumping out of the water! I grabbed my camera and was able to snap a picture of a dolphin at the apex of its jump. The dolphins continued leaping into the air, putting on an amazing show. They also swam alongside us, jumping up and down right in front of the boat. It was incredible to watch.
The nature in Dominica is truly spectacular. It has a myriad of wildlife and different things to see. Hurricane Maria had a great impact on the island, but the animal and plant life persist. Such a vibrant island is definitely deserving of the title “The Nature Isle.”
