The underwater world of the Dominican Republic. "The underwater world of the Dominican Republic
The plan of our trip was as follows: 2 days in Cuba (one day devoted to diving), then a flight to the Dominican Republic (7 days of diving), then half a day in Havana and return to Moscow. But as they say, "man proposes, but God disposes." Nature itself intervened in our plans, namely Hurricane Charlie, who at that time chose Cuba as the purpose of his visit. Our flight was delayed for a day. Nothing to do, we spent the next day waiting at home, getting the latest information from the Internet and CNN news about the progress of the hurricane, marking its path on the map and calculating the time by which it should leave Cuba, wondering if we could get away. But fate decided not to test us anymore, the hurricane swept on and we finally set off on a long-awaited journey.
13 hours of flight passed unnoticed. We managed to chat with each other, get to know some of the passengers and exchange plans with them, who is going to spend time, and even get some sleep.
Since the time difference with Moscow is 8 hours, having taken off from Moscow at night, and having spent the entire flight in complete darkness, illuminated only by myriads of bright stars, we arrived in Havana early in the morning. After 2 hours we were already in Varadero. First of all, we began to learn about diving, but because after the recent hurricane visibility left much to be desired, we had to forget about diving in Cuba. It's a pity, but there's nothing to be done, I had to spend the rest of the day enjoying the beauty of the turquoise waters Atlantic Ocean, its huge white sandy beaches swimming, sunbathing and lazily sipping rum and cola.
Early in the morning we had a new flight. Havana Airport reminded me of the old, forgotten and even, scary to say, native socialism. It was not possible to drink coffee, because. there was no water. Asked for a toothpick, the waitress took a cocktail tube and, cutting it at an angle, offered it as an alternative. And here we are in the Yak-40 plane of the Cuban airline Cubana, the impression is that over the past three days, we have been spending more time in the air than on the ground. Immediately I want to tighten the hit of the "Brilliant": "And I kept flying ...", which our friendly company does. The "local population" looks suspiciously at the too loud and cheerful "white people", but soon begins to smile friendly. The flight lasts 2.5 hours and finally the Dominican Republic, where you can start a sedentary lifestyle (enough planes for me) and, most importantly, dive, dive, dive!!!
We stayed at the Don Juan Hotel Beach Resort", located in the city of Boca Chica, on caribbean coast. The hotel itself is not bad, for people not "obsessed with stardom", but accustomed to minimalism and reasonable comfort. The hotel is quite cozy, with friendly and accommodating staff and evening animation with a standard set of entertainment: fun contests and incendiary shows. Due to the fact that night diving is not practiced in the Dominican Republic, we spent the rest of the evening at the show and at the local disco.
The hotel was not chosen by chance, it was at it that the dive center “Treasure Diving” that interested us was located. Back in Moscow, we agreed in advance with the Russian-speaking dive center owner Walter Frischbutter about our arrival, so a dive plan was developed for us in advance. In particular, we were very interested in diving in caves, which in their beauty are second only to the caves of Mexico. And it was Frischbutter who offered the full range of cave diving services, including training and certification. At the time of our arrival, Frischbutter was not in the dive center and our visit to the caves had to be postponed until his arrival, but for now we began to get acquainted with the Caribbean underwater world under the guidance of guide Jens.
The underwater world of the Dominican Republic is strikingly different from the beauty of the Red Sea and indian ocean. No, he is no worse, he is beautiful in his own way. Fans of "big fish" will not meet "hordes" of sharks on their way, and there is not a wide variety of fish. But how beautiful tubular sponges are. They business card caribbean. Yellow, purple, pink, large and small, whole settlements and stand-alone, sticking up and curving, shaped like a saxophone. You never get tired of looking at them, each time falling more and more in love with this creation of nature.
As for the racks, they are nothing special, they are not. This is not Malta, with its richest and most diverse wreck sites. They say that huge groupers like to hunt near the ships. But unfortunately we didn't see them. The only interesting river in Bayahibe is Wreck St. geog. This large, artificially submerged ship is remarkable in that it is easily accessible to enter and does not require special skills. Its maximum depth is 40 meters. The ship can be passed through by swimming in at the stern and emerging at the bow. And I also remember the moray eel, bright green, which met us at the very beginning of the dive.
Catalina Island. (Catalina Island)
It has very beautiful dive sites "Drop Wall" and "Aquarium". But the way there is not close. We had to go as part of a regular tour group. At first, gathering groups of tourists from hotels, we had to spend a lot of time. Then, having arrived at the pier, drag all your equipment onto the ship and find yourself a “place in the sun” in the crowd of tourists. Preparing for a dive is also not easy, try to collect equipment, get dressed and put on a scuba all in the same curious crowd who want to gawk at divers. And finally, we are under water, silence, tranquility and beauty. An extraordinary riot of colors opens before us. A variety of corals, of all colors and different types, tubular sponges, the impression that you are in the Garden of Eden. On the sand, we noticed a flat gray pancake, which, disturbed by a wave of flippers, swam, revealing a pair of eyes on its “pancake body”. As soon as the "pancake" hit the corals, its gray coloring changed to motley, the color of the bottom, then it returned to the sand and again took on a dull gray color. Apparently it was some kind of flounder. Once again, by flapping our fins, we made the fish make another lap of honor with a variable color change, which led us to indescribable delight. We were also lucky to see as many as six yellow stingrays. They grouped on one small reef and went about their business until they saw eight strange creatures hovering above them in bubbles, after which they began to slowly blur in all directions.
Summing up, I want to say that diving in the Dominican Republic, in the absence of a large fish familiar and so beloved by almost all divers, makes you look at coral reefs from the other side and learn to notice small “goats” (as I call nudibranchs, shrimp, small fish) hiding in coral branches. They deserve no less attention than big fish. I would also like to note that, as such, the diving industry in the Dominican Republic is not yet developed, unlike countries such as Egypt or the Maldives, where the most comfortable conditions for diving have been created for divers. At sea, we had to go out on a small boat, where it was very inconvenient to collect equipment, entry and exit from the water caused a lot of inconvenience. Due to a weak engine, sometimes it was necessary to swim for 2-3 hours to the dive site and back. In addition, even a slight roughness at sea led to strong pitching and many were swayed.
The most memorable dives were in caves. Before, I couldn’t understand speleology fans, I didn’t understand that there could be such interesting things in caves to “get sick” with them forever. And only when I myself was lucky enough to dive into the cave, I began to notice that I was attracted again and again by their regal beauty.
Cave La Sirena
The cave was not far from Boca Chica, about 30 minutes by car, first along a quite comfortable road, and then through the jungle. And hit at home local residents. Small houses made of slate, which are one room where they sleep and eat. It was striking that next to the "cardboard" houses there were houses of richer residents, apparently, "new Dominicans", they looked just like palaces against their background. But at the same time, the "palaces" were fenced with barbed wire, and the entrance doors were also locked with bars with locks. Neighborhood with poor brothers is fraught with theft, so richer Dominicans have to defend their territory.
Here we are at the place. To go down to the cave, you need to make your way along a rather steep spiral staircase. Going down, a view of a freshwater lake transparent as a tear opens up, on which rare rays of the sun fall from above.
The first dive, I'm a little worried about how it is under the arches, what new things I have to experience. The first route is very easy, so to speak, for getting acquainted and in order to understand how comfortable you feel in a new and unfamiliar environment, whether there will be signs of claustrophobia, and just to understand whether you are “hooked” or not. The dive plan is as follows: three short transitions through the tunnel, and between them three ascents to the cave halls filled with air, and then the same way back. In fact, the transitions are so short that they can be flown while holding your breath. From the first minute of the dive, I realized that I liked it and there was no fear, only delight from everything I saw. Water transparent as air, visibility is as far as the beam from the lantern is. The third cave hall is the most beautiful. Many stalactites and stalagmites shimmer and sparkle in the light of a lantern, reflecting the light like precious stones. As if this is not a cave, but some kind of magical castle built by a skilled magician-architect. We turned off the lights and plunged into darkness, and all you can hear is how the water drips, flowing down the stalactites into the lake. Creepy, but amazingly beautiful at the same time. Before leaving the cave, we turned off the lights again, but this time in order to enjoy the stunning and breathtaking view. The sun's rays and clear water made it possible to see the shore and our friends waiting for our return. Moreover, the whole picture was clearly visible, but slightly refracted, as in a crooked mirror, and the rays formed a shining rainbow halo around objects on the shore.
In between dives, we had lunch and made an excursion to the "land" cave. She is good in her own way, the same sparkling stalactites and stalagmites. Putting on helmets and taking lanterns, we had to start our journey on our knees. That is how, on four limbs, you need to take the first steps to get into the cave kingdom. Here flew bat, frightened by the light of a lantern. Then my beam illuminated something that looked like either a spider or a centipede. This, rather large, "monster" sorted out with long limbs, making nasty sounds. Brrr... Imagining that this "monster" would fall on me, I hurried out of the cave.
The second route of the dive was more serious: the Underwater corridor - ascent in the beloved third cave hall - and the way back through the corridor about 15-20 meters deep. It is notable for the so-called "halocline". The halocline is the transition layer between salt and fresh water. If you dive through it, then a swirl is formed, which makes the picture blurry, unsharp. It is difficult to describe my feelings, but when we swam into the hall with sea water, I was struck by the beauty of stalactites and stalagmites as if covered with frost and a white salty dome overhead, a kind of kingdom of the Snow Queen. The next unusual sensation arose as we passed the halocline. The water took on a haze, as if oil had been mixed with water, and the figure in front of the floating guide began to blur and double. The impression that there was a "nitrogen intoxication." I even shook my head out of inertia to focus my vision. But everything went by itself as soon as we left the halocline zone. Another second dive was not without adventure. Our group consisted of five people led by a guide ( large quantity not allowed in the cave). In the cave hall, one of us lost a flashlight, but we decided that the lanterns of others would perfectly illuminate his path, but when we went back to our guide Jens, who was walking ahead of me, the light suddenly went out. I thought that apparently he wants to show something, and I also decided to turn off the lantern. Thank God, I was smart enough to look around and understand that it was not worth turning off the lantern (imagine Jens’ “joy” if we all turned off the lanterns, because as it turned out on the shore, his lantern simply broke), but we had enough light from the remaining three lanterns to get back.
Cave of Padre Nuestre
After diving in the La Sirena cave, we earned the trust of Walter, and he promised to take us to the more difficult Padre Nuestre cave the next day. Walter and Jens, with a sly wink, called her "sporty". What this meant, we realized only when we had to go down a rather steep slope into the depths of the cave, where the lake itself was located, in full diving gear, holding flippers under our arm, and in the other free hand with a flashlight. The descent took certain time, in which we managed to quarrel, accusing each other of sluggishness and slowness, so we wanted to go down as quickly as possible. But as soon as someone speeded up, there was a danger of slipping and the possibility of breaking one's neck. At the end of the descent, we had to turn on the lanterns, since sunlight no longer penetrated into the depths of the cave. Wet like mice, with legs shaking with tension, we finally reached the lake and plunged into the cool water. But further immersion showed that our suffering was not in vain. The beauty of the cave was mesmerizing. We had to swim 120 meters through a tunnel 3-12 meters deep, at the end of which there was only one air hall where we could rest and move back. As soon as we dived, a fish swam out to meet us, which caused considerable surprise. Where she came from in these waters remained a mystery. From the beauty of stalactites and stalagmites, forming vaults, arches and fairytale palaces, was simply breathtaking. There are no words to describe all the beauty of the caves - you have to see it with your own eyes, feel how the whole soul is flooded with delight and admiration for nature, which creates such beauty. At such moments, you understand that you fell in love once and for all with a fabulous and mysterious world caves. Time flies by completely unnoticed, that's the end of the road. With a slight sadness, we have to emerge, and as a retribution for the magnificent spectacle, the road back awaits us. The climb up the mountain was even more difficult. After being in the water, the body is already filled with lead weight, and then this body, again in a full “combat kit”, must be delivered upstairs, climbing over stones, occasionally breaking the silence with primordially “Russian expressions”. At such moments, you give yourself a word, upon arrival home, to devote more time to exercises. Unfortunately, the Padre Nuestra dive was our final part of the program in the Dominican Republic.
I'll tell you about one more "fun", so fond of us at first. Not far from our hotel was the restaurant "Neptune", where, in addition to very tasty cuisine, an attraction called "snorkeling with sharks and rays" was offered. There was a small paddock in the sea, fenced with a cage, where several rays and six 1.5-2 m nurse sharks swam. For only $5, you were allowed to snorkel and snorkel in the company of these cute animals. Arriving at the restaurant, we thought that there was no end to those who wanted to dive, and we would still have to stand in line. But it turned out that, apart from our company, there were no people willing, all the other inhabitants of the restaurant were lazily seated at the tables, basking in the sun and languidly sipping beer. But when we began to enter the water, the visitors perked up and rushed to see us at the show, which, apparently, in their opinion, meant “feeding the sharks”, where this moment We acted as a "delicious snack". I was even somewhat taken aback by such attention and expressed the idea that we, not us, should be given 5 dollars for a demonstration performance. Having descended into the water, you forget that curious onlookers are looking at you, and you understand how great it is to be in such proximity with these large and seemingly harmless animals. I dived to the sharks, lay next to them on the sand. Then, emboldened, she stroked their rough sides. The sharks swam sluggishly, but, nevertheless, allowed themselves to be stroked. The first delight from the fact that, just like that, you can easily communicate with these cute animals, was replaced by sadness and pity for them. I realized that I would get much more pleasure if I saw these cute creatures not in a cage, with limited space, but in the open sea, where they would be free.
And so our acquaintance with sea world Dominican Republic. We have a road to go home. And again, the plane of Cuban airlines carries us to the shores of Cuba. The flight was not without a little adventure. The plane landed, as we decided at the Havana airport, where we had to spend another evening before we went to Moscow. But at the entrance to the airport, we were given a transit card, and we were escorted to the transit waiting room. Our bewilderment is understandable, because it turned out that they already want to send us to our homeland. We tried to talk to the customs officers, showing the Havana hotel voucher and trying to prove that we did not expect to fly home early. They did not answer us anything, they only pointed to the transit hall. After spending some time there, they took us back to the plane!!! Oh my God, another plane, but how long can you fly! It turned out that we did not land in Havana (where, as it turned out, there was a thunderstorm), but at Varadero airport and we had to spend some more time in the air. We landed in Havana in the evening. We were met by a friendly guide, who spoke excellent Russian, and, having learned that early in the morning we were again waiting for a flight now home, the good Samaritan volunteered to show us Havana at night. Arriving at the hotel and quickly dropping things, we went on a tour. What can I say, we were so tired and exhausted from the flight that we had been “nodding off” for a long time and the greatest desire was to sleep, sleep and only sleep. Of course, it was possible to see something, but there was not much impression left. Advice to those who want to plan, like us, a trip to the Dominican Republic through Cuba. Allocate much more time to visit Cuba, taking into account all the "force majeure" circumstances, in order to dive and explore this amazing country, and not rush like we "gallop through Europe."
However, in conclusion, I want to say that the trip was a success. We had a wonderful, friendly and cheerful company, a lot of impressions and funny adventures, which left an indelible mark on our memory.
Diving in the Dominican Republic is good. There are many dive sites in the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean for a good dive, but many places, as always, require at least an initial diver's license, according to the PADI system, this is OWD. But do not be upset if there is no license, firstly, if you wish, you can always get a license for $ 500, and secondly, there are special introductory dives. In order to see the underwater kingdom and take a photo of the underwater world in the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean, you need to take an introductory dive.
For an introductory dive, except for your desire, about 100 dollars and one day to go to open water, nothing else is needed. As a rule, if you have a vacation by the sea, and the Dominican Republic is washed by both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, then at the hotel or not far from it there is a dive club that performs introductory dives. The Dominican Republic (Dominican Republic) is not far from the beach, right by the pool and such a center was located.
Diving center at Be live Canoa
Turning to this dive center, we found out that the cost of an introductory dive will be $ 90 per person. The price, on average, as in other places around the world, was paid and the formal part of the registration of the dive tour began. In order to dive a person without a diver's license, it is necessary to go through a number of stages. The first is to fill out a health questionnaire for diving. Some of the questions from the sample questionnaire:
Are you pregnant and are you trying to get pregnant?
______Do you regularly take any medicines prescribed by your doctor?
drugs (with the exception of contraceptives and
malaria drugs)?
______ You are over 45 years of age and 1 or more of the following applies to you
statements:
Do you smoke pipes, cigars or cigarettes
you have high cholesterol
Have you had a history of heart attack or stroke in your family?
you are currently undergoing treatment
you have high blood pressure
you have diabetes, even if it is controlled by diet
Do you currently have or have you had any of the following:
______ Asthma or shortness of breath with exertion or just in the process
breath?
______ Frequent bouts of hay fever or allergies?
______ Frequent colds, runny nose or bronchitis?
______ Any form of lung disease?
______ Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)?
______ Other lung disease or chest surgery
cage?
______ Psychiatric disorders or psychological problems (attacks
panic, fear of closed or open space)?
______ Epilepsy, seizures, convulsions? Do you accept medical
drugs to prevent them?
______ Frequent migraines? Do you accept medical
drugs to prevent them?
______ Memory lapses or fainting (partial or complete loss of
consciousness)?
______ Do you get seasick in transport, do you suffer from seasickness?
Please answer "YES" or "NO" to the following questions regarding
Your medical history. If you have any doubts, answer "YES". If
any of these items can be attributed to you, it is necessary that you
consult a doctor before diving.
Your instructor will provide you with a PADI Medical Statement and
instructions for medical examination of divers for your doctor.
______ Dysentery or dehydration requiring medical
intervention?
______ Accidents on previous dives or
decompression sickness?
______ Inability to endure moderate physical activity (eg.
walk 1.6 kilometers in 12 minutes)?.
And so on, in general, the questions are correct and aimed at minimizing possible accidents under water related to health. However, you must answer all questions no, otherwise you will not be allowed to dive. But if you have doubts about your health, I recommend that you contact the clinic and consult about your doubts about your health.
When filling out the questionnaire, you will not be required to provide a certificate from a doctor if you answer no to all questions, but at the same time you take responsibility for your health and the instructor, in which case, is not responsible for your health and will provide your questionnaire with your signature , where it is possible that you hid something and he is not to blame. After answering the questionnaire and signing it, proceed to the next stage of preparation.
Theoretical preparation of the student for immersion. At this stage, they will talk about the device of scuba gear and why it is needed. They will teach you the gestures that are necessary for communicating underwater, tell you what is prohibited and what you can do, and answer security questions. After the theoretical part, they will be taken to the pool and will have the first use of scuba gear in the pool, as they say in confined water, at a shallow depth. You will complete simple mandatory exercises that will allow you to be more confident underwater. And if you're lucky, then on the same day you will go for an introductory dive, but as a rule, the dive itself takes place the next day, as a group of people is formed. So we have the dive itself was scheduled for the next day at 13-00.
On this day, there were only three of us from our hotel, we put on wetsuits, picked up fins and masks and moved to the shore, where the boat was waiting, on which we went to the dive site.
The boat on which they got to the dive site On the way to the dive site, we swam to another hotel and took two more students and an instructor with us, but they were training for an OWD certificate. And at 13-30 we were at the dive site. Our instructor showed us how to enter the water from the boat and we followed him.
Last briefing before diving In the water, the instructor reminded us for the last time of some rules and we sank to the bottom of the Caribbean Sea. And here is the first photo of the underwater world in the Caribbean.
The first photo of the underwater world in the Caribbean And this, respectively, is the second photo of the underwater world in the Caribbean Sea in the Dominican Republic.
Underwater world at La Romana Dominican Republic At first, the instructor constantly took care of us and asked with a gesture how we were doing and did not let us out of his sight.
The instructor constantly supervised us But we were interested in the underwater kingdom of the Caribbean. And I wanted to look around, and not at the instructor and that he was waving his hands to us there.
We were interested in the underwater kingdom of the Caribbean Of course, not everyone understands the names of fish, corals and sea sponges, but this is not important at the first stage, you just want to see it all, and then maybe find out what you saw.
Fish, corals and sea sponges In some places, the instructor showed us interesting fragments of underwater life with gestures.
The instructor showed interesting fragments Large fish or turtles were not caught, but small rays were often caught.
Slope at the bottom of the sea Corals always have beautiful pictures of the underwater world. Diving in the Caribbean allows you to plunge into the mysteries of the underwater world. And in order to love him more, you need to know more about marine flora and fauna, and the first scuba diving can give someone this hobby later in life, so try diving, maybe this is your life.
Diving in the Caribbean Beautiful pictures of the underwater kingdom at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea.
beautiful coral The inquisitive character of the instructor led us to various inhabitants of the underwater world, and this time the instructor showed a spider beetle ...
The instructor checked the air supply in our tanks and swam to our boat. The path ran through less colorful territory.
The return trip ran through less colorful territory. This is the place where our boat anchored and up along this rope, we will slowly climb to the top, this is necessary to equalize the pressure.
The place where our boat dropped anchor We were under water for 42 minutes, during which time we got acquainted with the beauties of the underwater kingdom, whoever wanted to could take a photo video of the underwater world of the Caribbean Sea in the Dominican Republic. Recently, many vacationers have cameras for shooting underwater. Of course, these are not professional devices for thousands of dollars, but for 350 - 500 dollars, as for example the Olympus tg 850 with the ability to take photos or videos at a depth of up to 10 meters. Of course, you should not expect good quality, but for yourself and to show your friends an underwater odyssey is quite possible.
Diving in the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean ended, sharing impressions with fellow travelers, moved towards the coast, where the hotel was located.
Moving towards the Canoa Hotel Upon arrival at the shore, we handed over our equipment, said thanks to the instructor and went to look at the photos taken while diving in the Caribbean. In appearance, the underwater world, for me as a non-specialist, in the Caribbean Sea resembles the island of Racha Yai in Thailand, you can see and draw your own conclusion. But in any case, take introductory dives and expand your horizons.
An alternative option to see the underwater world is snorkeling. Snorkeling is swimming with a snorkel and a mask. Very good snorkeling in the Red Sea, but not bad in the Caribbean either. in the Dominican Republic, you can click on the active link. You can find not bad snorkeling in Thailand, but our
Diving in the Dominican Republic and the underwater beauty of this country leave us with the most vivid impressions, and the variety of dive sites will satisfy both beginners and experienced divers. The Dominican Republic offers diving in three main areas: the Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and freshwater caves.
Of course, the white beaches, sand, and azure frothing surf all contribute, but here we are talking about a specific aspect of the holiday: diving in the Dominican Republic.
caribbean sea
Here is the main concentration of diving sites, this coast is intended for those who decide to devote their vacation to diving, and not to get some one vivid impression. The Caribbean Sea is known for its beautiful corals, so dives in beautiful coral gardens are offered here.
Bayabe is the main diving region of the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean. Here is the national underwater park(those same coral gardens), as well as about 200 sunken ships. However, it must be understood that most of these ships are not real pirate ones, and no Edward Teach or (even more so) Captain Jack Sparrow has set foot on their deck: and they were all flooded specifically for tourists. Here you can see a real sunken ship, if you do not aim at pirate exotics, but pay attention to more trivial ships.
Also, scuba diving to the largest and sunken cargo ship Saint George is popular. They conduct dives with a visit to the interior. True, this item is not suitable for adrenaline lovers, because this is one of the most visited Dominican diving places, and the risk here is probably at zero. But on the other hand, it will be both interesting and useful for beginners: the instructor is always there, and the sunken ship will give you delightful emotions and unforgettable impressions.
On the shore next to this dive site is the Club Viva Dominicus hotel: it offers great vacation(various bungalows, SPA, animation, all-inclusive meals, recreational services), as well as diving pools in the Dominican Republic, equipment rental, instructors and own chambers with rare marine fauna for diving. However, this is an above average price category hotel: about 20,000 rubles. per night.
And for those who do not need ground tinsel, but are only interested in diving in the Dominican Republic, you should pay attention to specialized (and much more affordable) diving tours: they already include dives, experienced instructors, wetsuits, scuba gear, other equipment, training in pools and everything you might need. The price of such a tour is not so high: 28,000 rubles. per day per person, which includes accommodation, meals, diving and transfer to dive sites.
Near Bayabe is the city of La Romana, in the vicinity of which there is also an abundance of sunken objects: to get to some of them, you need to travel a long way by sea, especially if you leave from hotels in Bayabe.
Atlantic Ocean
Diving in the Dominican Republic of Punta Cana (one of the most famous regions of the sector) is more for casual than regular divers. Those who do not like to dive in a crowd of people and do not lead a party, but a true diving lifestyle, may not come here in high season- April or May. However, even at this time in the resorts of Punta Cana, you can get a lot of exotic experiences.
In Punta Cana, you can also dive to the sunken ships. The most famous among which are: Monica and Astron - all these ships sank a long time ago and lie on seabed, turning into similarities of coral reefs and gathering around itself a small but colorful underwater world. It must be understood that Punta Cana is full of commercial diving clubs designed for inexperienced tourists, which makes it difficult to choose a decent place among them. It is best to focus on Caribbean prices, which average from 10,000 rubles. for two dives in one day. So you can choose a club that will give you test dives, professional assistance, apparatus, safety and much more.
Despite the fact that diving in Punta Cana is considered easy, do not overestimate your strength and do it yourself. Few experienced divers are capable of doing this, and even more so, only a few do it alone, because diving in an unfamiliar place is simply dangerous. All dangers await the self-confident beginner: among them are pressure, decompression sickness, aggressive fauna and much more.
Returning to safe diving in the Dominican Republic, from Punta Cana you can book a trip to Catalina Island, home to sites such as the Aquarium and the Wall, ideal for beginner divers. The boat can take you straight to the descent point or have a little adventure around the island. An instructor from Punta Cana can go on a dive with you, who will also conduct an initial briefing, introduce safety precautions, set the correct breathing and much more ... or you can find an instructor.
For those who do not want to spend a day traveling to Catalina and back to dive in the Dominican Republic of Punta Cana, Viva Shallow dive site can be booked for trial lessons to verify the qualifications of the instructors and the quality of the equipment. Nearby there are many beaches, fenced with buoys, and cozy bays that are suitable for lying on the sand, resting from everything in general, including scuba diving, or just swimming in the warm sea.
However, in Punta Cana you can also try adrenaline diving. For example, go diving with sharks or stingrays: of course, they don’t eat people, but provoked individuals can cause trouble and spoil your stay in tropical paradise. There are no restrictions on spearfishing in the Dominican Republic, you can hunt anywhere and on anything, but it is worth remembering the same rules that apply to independent diving in the Dominican Republic.
Prices in tourist Punta Cana are higher than in the Caribbean sector. Overnight at a hotel like the mentioned Club Viva Dominicus, Catalonia Bavaro Resort or Be Live Grand Punta Cana can easily cost you $30,000 or more. per day. And this is not to mention the costs of diving itself, equipment for it, use hotel bases or the path to the dive site. However, this pastime leisure worth the money spent; the only pity is that when diving in the Dominican Republic, time flies unnoticed, and the week passes like a day. Perhaps that is why the reviews of tourists about Punta Cana are among the best throughout the Dominican Republic.
underwater caves
Who in childhood did not imagine himself a brave underwater explorer? Therefore, underwater caves for diving in the Dominican Republic are a great opportunity to fulfill this dream. Their views can be enjoyed for years, these underwater tunnels look so beautiful and bewitching. But only expeditions there, especially alone, can be called the most extreme, because in conditions of limited visibility there is high degree danger.
Such dives require higher requirements for equipment, because for such extreme diving in the Dominican Republic you need to use the best and most reliable equipment, which greatly affects the cost of an underwater trip. We also highly recommend, even when diving into the popular Padre Nuestro, to learn the plan of the caves or, better, invest in knowledgeable guide: without this, navigation here is extremely difficult.
But, in general, the caves obey general rules diving in the Dominican Republic: attentiveness to your equipment, well-developed breathing practices, classical diving methods - the main thing is not to leave anything at random, and then these places will bring you real pleasure.
By the way, there, as elsewhere, underwater photography can be carried out: you can do it yourself, with the appropriate equipment, or hire an operator with extensive experience in the field of underwater photography.
Diving in the Caribbean, Dominican Republic:
Cave diving in the Dominican Republic:
How to reach the seabed has been puzzling since ancient times. In ancient Rome and Greece, there were divers who could hold their breath and long time be under water. But people wanted more - to swim in the ocean. This became possible after the invention of scuba gear in the middle of the 20th century. It was from this time that scuba diving, called diving, began to develop rapidly. The Dominican Republic is a place where scuba divers like to go.
Types of diving
With the opportunity to stay under water for a long time, the following types of diving appeared:
- recreational - positioned as safe rest and entertainment;
- technical - involving such a type of diving, in which it is necessary to use special equipment and methods that allow you to descend to depths inaccessible to amateur diving;
- scientific, military and professional - this is the work of professional divers, for which they receive payment, it can be any research, but this is a separate and large topic.
Our article is about recreational diving, which has gained popularity among tourists in many sea and ocean resorts. It is available to any tourist who has no health restrictions, if the vacationer has studied at the courses at the dive center.
Underwater tourism
Diving is an exciting sport. Thanks to him, the diver discovers the wealth of the underwater world, which cannot be compared with anything. known in the world not only for its magnificent resorts and colorful carnivals, but mostly for underwater tourism. Diving in the Dominican Republic is incredibly popular. Currently, more than two dozen diving sites (dive sites) are available to divers in the Dominican Republic, and dive centers are open at resorts that teach diving for beginners.
One of the best places, where divers like to visit, of course, the Caribbean Sea. The beauty of the underwater fauna, the secrets of sunken ships, coral reefs appear to the diver every time in a new way. It is important to know that in order to dive in the Dominican Republic, tourists need to speak English or spoken Spanish. There are no Russian instructors. Beginners before diving must be trained and pass the test. Without this, the immersion service will not be provided.
dangerous hobby
Diving is considered a cool and interesting but dangerous hobby, as there are times when it can actually be that. The most common risks associated with being underwater are injury caused by pressure drops, hypothermia, or scuba gear failure. All this can lead to death. But in most cases, all these dangers are more typical for professional diving. During recreational diving, an instructor is always present next to the diver, who will immediately respond to any sign of a beginner.
It is worth noting that diving is not a cheap activity. A pair of dives in Punta Cana in the Caribbean will cost more than 11.5 thousand rubles. As in any business, the cost depends on the quantity. The more dives purchased, the cheaper it will cost the tourist. But dive operators do not advise beginners to take many dives. Health problems, even for strong-looking people, can arise at the training stage, and even after not very deep diving, ailments can appear in the form of headaches, tinnitus, and nosebleeds. As a result, dives will have to be abandoned.
Punta Cana
Diving in the Dominican Republic is most popular in the vicinity of Punta Cana. In this place, divers can dive from February to November. For the remaining two months of the year, seasonal winds blow. The places are shallow, there are underwater caves and sunken ships. According to the diver's training, local dive operators offer underwater tours. Many hotels cooperate with dive centers. The result of this interaction is free diving training for tourists staying at the hotel. Such training separately costs about 3500 rubles.
A breathtaking sight opens before divers in the form of tunnels, caves, clusters of small fish and rays. Nurse sharks may be encountered. There, in Punta Cana, there is a huge sunken ship that has become home to many fish and marine life. It has turned into a reef in 90 years.
Decent diving in the Dominican Republic, according to experienced divers, mainly in places that belong to the Caribbean. In the waters of the Atlantic, to which Punta Cana belongs to a greater extent, there are fewer fish and the underwater world is not as rich as in the Caribbean Sea.
Boca Chica Resort
The small resort of Boca Chica and diving in the Dominican Republic - for those who will not be surprised by anything! It is famous for its variety of dives to various depths. Experienced divers will be interested in looking into underwater grottoes and caves, the splendor of which will amaze even the most sophisticated traveler.
The most beautiful in the Caribbean are the coral reefs, painted in various colors. It creates the illusion that you are in an underwater paradise. Hand-feeding ocean fish and exploring sunken ships, and in Boca Chica, divers can get acquainted with an amazing phenomenon - the halocline - and see what is hidden from the sun. And all this can be found in underwater caves, which are safe to swim in Boca Chica.
Caves of Boca Chica
In order for a diver to obtain a diving permit, experience of 10 dives or more and an OWD course are sufficient. Interesting for divers is the cave of Padre Nuestro, which has a length of one hundred and fifty meters. The depth of immersion in it is from 3 to 12 meters. At the very end of the cave, a diver is in for a surprise - a large air hall. Here you can ascend and get some air without scuba gear. Stalactites and stalagmites form magical arches.
Unusually beautiful is the cave of La Sirena, which nature has been creating for thousands of years. The water is incredibly clear, visibility is over 100 meters. The bottom is visible to the smallest pebbles, as well as many fish. Beautiful stones and shells from the bottom can be taken with you to the surface.
Recognized diving sites
An overview of diving in the Dominican Republic would be incomplete without mentioning a few more resort areas, where divers also have the opportunity to dive to the depths of the Caribbean Sea. This is the bay of sunken ships - Bayahibe. In it, divers can make an underwater journey through the cabins, compartments and other rooms of ships lying at a depth of about fifteen meters. Here in the bay at the bottom lies the pleasure ship Atlantic Princess. It was specially flooded in 2008. Experienced divers like to dive into underwater caves, where they are interested in meeting with the inhabitants of the underwater world. You can touch turtles and rays and they won't bite or kill because they are friendly. Many divers want to find rare animals and take photos with them.
Diving in the Dominican Republic is also presented at one of the best dive sites The Wall - "The Wall". The underwater slope ends with a wall going down to a depth of 100 meters. There are 2 steps on the wall at a height of 25 and 40 meters. A sharp underwater transition from the reef to the void, when there is nothing under your feet, although you don’t fall, it is breathtaking, those who dived in these places share in the reviews. Is it unique place among the virgin nature of the small island of Catalina, where crystal water, silky sand and palm groves. This is a natural national park.
Another favorite dive site for divers is La Caleta. This is a shipwreck park surrounded by reefs. inhabitants sea depths- octopuses, turtles and dolphins. La Caleta is located near the resort of Boca Chica.
About whales
What wonders you will not meet in the underwater world of the Dominican Republic! Surprisingly, the fact that is undeniable is that the North Atlantic humpback whales every year swim in the Dominican Republic to the Samana Peninsula in the month of January. It's theirs favorite place for " honeymoon". There are special tours to the Dominican Republic so that tourists can watch the whales play. Best time such excursions - February, it accounts for the height of whale migration. Humpbacks are very large. The body of the female is up to 15 meters, the males are a little less. The migratory path of whales is about 8000 kilometers.
Snorkeling or diving with whales in the Dominican Republic is prohibited by law. Whales beat the water with their fins and tails, and they also jump out of it, which is unsafe for the lives of people next to them. Law-abiding tourists who are going to visit the bay should keep in mind that during the period of the whales' stay there, it is not available for diving. Diving is a sport of the brave, so there are always those who, breaking the law, swim, albeit not close, but with whales.
The Dominican Republic is one of best countries for snorkeling. Every year, thousands of tourists come here to watch the mysterious underwater worlds of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
Snorkeling (from the German word shnorchel - breathing tube) - swimming under the surface of the water with a mask, snorkel and preferably flippers. If the water temperature is low, then additionally use a wetsuit.
Before entering the water, do the following:- Wipe the inner glass of the mask and dip it in water so that it does not sweat during the dive.
- Attach the tube to the mask.
- Put on the mask and adjust the tube to the level of the mouth.
To choose the correct size of the mask, put it on without fixing it on your head. Inhale through your nose and remove your hand. If the mask sits comfortably on the face, then its size is suitable.
It is not necessary to buy all the necessary equipment at home, you can buy everything in the Dominican Republic, where snorkeling is one of the popular activities.
Snorkeling in the Dominican Republic- one of the most affordable and favorite types of recreation. The main advantage over diving is that a thorough study of the underwater world does not require special permission or serious skills. For snorkeling, it is enough to buy fins, a mask and a snorkel in any of the local stores and choose any a nice place for diving.
Near each coral reef in the Dominican Republic lives a variety of marine creatures, including crustaceans, octopuses, unusual fish. While snorkeling, you can even fish with your hands, and then fry it on the shore. If you don't feel like cooking, then take your fresh catch to any of the restaurants on the coast, and the chef will immediately prepare a delicious fish dish for you.
If you are an avid fisherman, then you will definitely want to go spearfishing in the Caribbean. The harpoon can be bought in the store. Right there, in supermarkets, cases for video and photography under water are sold, which will capture all the secrets and beauties of marine life.
Favorite places
Snorkeling in the Dominican Republic opens up an unusual and mysterious world of the Atlantic Ocean or the Caribbean Sea for tourists. There are many fish of various shapes, sizes and colors. The underwater inhabitants are hospitable, allowing tourists to swim up close and take a closer look.
While snorkeling, you can watch stingrays, sea turtles and playful dolphins. IN winter time When humpback whales come to the island of Samana, you will definitely hear the sounds of these huge mammals weighing tens of tons underwater.
Catalina Island is another place for snorkeling in the DR. The water near its shores is very clean and transparent, visibility reaches 30 meters in depth.
No less pleasure will bring snorkeling in the Dominican Republic off the coast of Saona, where coral reef and there are a lot of interesting sea creatures - moray eels, rays, barracudas, colorful fish of various shapes and sizes. Saona is a part National Reserve, therefore, is one of the favorite places for snorkelers and divers.
Snorkeling in the Dominican Republic absolutely anywhere will bring a lot of positive emotions and vivid impressions, because this country is one of the few in the world ideal for snorkeling.
- Swim only in designated areas. It is best to dive during snorkeling excursions.
- Do not take anything with you and do not touch anything underwater. Do not tease stingrays and moray eels, out of fear they can attack. Don't touch sea urchins, some of the species leave burns.
- Don't swim with bad weather or even a slight hint of bad weather.
- Don't snorkel. Water will get into it, which then, when inhaled, can penetrate into the lungs.
- Wait 2 hours after eating before diving. Do not dive while intoxicated or overtired.
- If the current is strong, swim across it or diagonally.
- If there is a cramp, then grab the edge of the fin, stretch your leg and pull it towards you.