Above: Champagne Reef

By the Caribbean Journal staff

There’s that moment, when you feel the geothermally-induced bubbles tickling your feet, that you come to the conclusion that Dominica is not exactly your average Caribbean island.

Of course, whether you’re diving on the famous Champagne Reef or searching for your own secret scuba sanctuary, there are a host of top-notch dive sites in the country.

The western coast of Dominica, from the area northwest of Portsmouth to the southwestern tip, is covered in dive sites, with nine sites in three major clusters.

There are also several dive centers across the country, from the Cabrits Dive Center on the northern side near Portsmouth to the aforementioned Champagne Reef Dive and Snorkel. The group includes hotel-based centers at the Anchorage Hotel, the Fort Young Hotel in the capital, Roseau, and the Sunset Bay Club & Sea Side Dive Resort in Salisbury.

Over the years, it’s brought its fair share of diving enthusiasts to the Eastern Caribbean — indeed, Dominica’s Dive Fest is actually the longest-running scuba festival in the Caribbean — look for the next one in the summer of 2014 — its 21st edition.