Submitted by Andrew Evans on the 2019 winter session program in Dominica sponsored by the Department of Geography…
Today came with the realization that we are already around halfway done with our stay in Dominica. It was a scary thought, but at the same time it’s rewarding to be able to look back on past experiences knowing that there still is a lot more to come. In one of these experiences, we got to explore the beautiful reefs and waters around the island. The day started out by taking a boat to one of Dominica’s most famous snorkeling spots, Champagne Reef. On our way out to the reef, I turned around and noticed a huge rainbow across the sky and it was on of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen.
As we arrived at the reef, the boat captain gave us an overview of the reef and we all jumped in to start snorkeling. As we swam around, I could see the methane bubbles coming up from the ocean floor and it literally looked like you were swimming through a champagne glass, hence the name. The coral and fish life was absolutely spectacular and as I dove down I could feel the warm water coming out of the ocean floor vents. The captain told us that if you ever come to the reef and there are no bubbles that you probably want to leave the island because a volcanic eruption might be in the near future. So it is safe to say that I was very glad to see the bubbles.
After snorkeling, the next adventure was whale watching. I was skeptical at first that we would even see a whale, but the next thing I knew there was a water spout ahead and a female Sperm Whale and a calf were next to the boat. I found it amazing to learn how big family is to the Sperm Whales and that females will watch over and feed a calf even if it is not her own. Sperm Whales will also sometimes float on the surface and socialize with each other for hours. Before we knew it, the mother and her calf kicked their tails up and dove down. Seeing this was an amazing end to a perfect day exploring the wonderful waters around Dominica.
