Instant Reader Report
on Nature Island Dive / Herche's Place in
Dominica / [N/A] on
2003/06
by
Rick Cavanaugh , MD, USA
Report Number 030714215422689

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 Belize, Bonaire, Cozumel, St Croix, BVI, Little Cayman, St Vincent,
Grenada, Bequia,Provo Turks and Caicos, Grand Turk, Key Largo, North
Carolina, Tobago Cayes. 

Dive Conditions

None  

No good E6 on Island  

Overall Rating

The best part of Dominica is the diving.  If you are willing to deal with
the downsides of the island, Dominica is probably one of the best dive
locations in the Caribbean comparing to the dive quality of Little
Cayman.


Nature Island Dive is an Excellent shop with Excellent dive masters.  Most
of the week we were the only 2 divers on the boat!    Most dives lasted
over 1 hour and one night dive lasted 1 ½ hours!  

The dives in the Soufriere Scott’s Head Marine Reserve are some of the
best dives I have done in the Caribbean even though the visibility was
only 30 to 50 feet. There was a rare plankton bloom that limited the
visibility for our entire trip.  The reefs were much more colorful due to
the amount of sponge life and healthy corals.  What was strange was what
was absent.  The more common fish found through out the Caribbean were
missing.  We saw very few angel fish, butterfly fish and no sharks of any
kind.  .  I do not think I have ever dove without see at least 1 nurse
shark until diving here.  What we did see where not as common.  We say
many basket stars, Golden Crinoid’s, Magnificent Urchins, Frog Fish, Sea
Horses, Lettuce Sea Slugs, Leech Headshield Slug, Bat Fish,  Red banded
Lobsters,  Slipper Lobsters,  Pederson Cleaner Shrimp, Spotted Cleaner
Shrimps, Squat Anemone Shrimps, Scarlet Striped Cleaning Shrimp, Octopus,
Squids,  Scorpion fish and much more.

Simon Walsh, the owner, is an avid photography and he and his staff is
very dedicated in finding the little stuff.  On many dives they asked us
what we wanted to see and they would take us right to it.  They are  an
excellent choice for photographers as all of the surface intervals are 
back at the dive shop.  This made it very easy to change film, lenses and
ports.

Simon has big plans to improve his dive shop with the addition of a large
3 story building behind his shop.  When the economy improves he wants to
have a small restaurant, E6 processing plus more.  His plans for those are
on halt until things change.

There is a $2 Marine Park fee per dive.  

The trip from Dominica’s airport to Scotts Head area takes around 1
½ hours.  My original intention was to rent a car and drive myself
to save the $60 one way taxi fare. After taking a taxi, I was very happy
NOT to drive across the island.  The roads are very narrow with hairpin
turns and cliffs.  The roads are not marked and it would be very easy to
get lost.  If you are interested in renting a car rent it from the other
side AFTER you have traveled by taxi to the other side.

The center of the island is beautiful.  Very high and steep mountains with
waterfalls and lots of small rivers surround you as you travel across the
island.   There are many day hikes into the rainforest.  We took a 45
minute muddy hike to Middleham falls.  We also visited Trafalgar Falls,
which was a very short 5 minute walk from the parking lot to the falls.  

 Upon arrival into Roseau, you enter into the largest city on the island
and it is typical of Caribbean cities in construction and appearance. 
Scotts Head is approximately 20 minutes past Roseau.  Scotts head is a
fishing village and is NOT very attractive.  The town is very run down. 
This is where Herche’s Place is located.

Herche’s place is a small economy style hotel with about 5 rooms
available.  One week was $636/week and included a basic breakfast of fresh
fruit and bread.  The rooms are very sparse and small.  Ours had an A/C
unit that kept the room very cold as the thermostat did not function
properly.  The room was so small that the bathroom door would not close
unless the bed was moved.  The area was not attractive and very run down
as compared to other islands in the Caribbean.  There are not many other
hotel choices in the Scotts Head area.  

When we return to Dominica, we will make sure that we stay at Dive
Dominica’s “Cottages” which were booked during our trip.  We did not see
the interior of the “Cottages” but from the appearance of Simon’s dive
operation, I am sure they are significantly better than Herche’s.  

The final insult from Herche’s place was the unauthorized additional
charge of approximately $380 that showed up on my charge card after
leaving!


The main attraction of Herche’s place was that there was a restaurant with
a good reputation for fine food located at the Hotel.  Barbara Herche’s
husband, Greg, had the reputation of being the best chef on the island. 
Unfortunately he is now working for the Anchorage Hotel.  What remains of
the Herche’s restaurant is an average restaurant the frequently ran out of
many of the items and was over priced.  However, there are not many other
choices in Scotts Head.  The only other restaurant was Roger’s Place which
was a very basic restaurant with not much of a menu.  Fish, egg sandwich,
ham and cheese sandwich, burgers and such were the only choices.

One restaurant worth going to is Andre’s Rainforest Bistro.  Reservations
are required well in advance as you will probably be the only customers. 
The meal is large and reasonably priced.  Choices are fish, chicken or
vegetarian.  The meal comes with many varied vegetables grown on his farm.
 It is a must if you are on the side of the island.  Andre will pick you up
at you hotel and drop you back off for no extra charge.
 

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