© Paul Crask
An area in Soufriere Bay in which to observe marine life and partake in watersports and scuba activities.
The Soufriere Scotts Head Marine Reserve (SSMR) is located in the southwest of Dominica and contains some of the island’s most visited and well-known dive sites. The aim of the reserve is to protect the marine environment at the same time as providing structure and balance to the demands of both tourism and the traditional fishing heritage of the villages in this region. The reserve runs from the isthmus of Cachacrou to the Champagne Reef system south of the coastal community of Pointe Michel, and is comprised of priority zones for fishing, scuba diving and marine nurseries. Within the reserve, dive sites such as L’Abym, La Sorciere, Danglebens Pinnacles and Scotts Head Drop-off provide visiting scuba divers with a spectacular combination of life, colour and dramatic reef formations. The waters here are extremely deep, and the reefs largely bereft of sand, so turbidity is rarely a problem and thus visibility is usually excellent all year round. Scuba diving and snorkelling in the SSMR draws a US$2 fee per snorkeller or scuba diver, which goes towards its management, much in the same way that the site pass system is designed to work for designated ‘eco’ attractions on land.