La Romana - San
Dolio
Access: boat only
Level: Beginners
to advanced
Depth: 30-120 ft
Recommendation:
Do not leave without a camera.
There are plenty
of dive shops on La Romana. Of all Neptuno Divers is the best one with the best rates. Checkout on the first day what they have on the board and be there first thing in the
morning to book. Prices are 25$/dive when you buy a package so good luck. Visibility is good when you go diving in the morning
(30-40ft), it goes worse in the afternoon (20ft).
For snorkellers
good luck, the coral reef makes waves break close to the shore, the visibility is not very good but still you can see some
coral formations and coloured fish.
There are more than
fifteen dive sites in Juan Dolio and are always discovering new ones, all with mooring buoys. The only access way to these
sites is with speedboats and can reach them in five minutes. There are two regular dives a day and depending on weather conditions
dives in the afternoon and night dives on a frequent base. Depth ranges from 30 to 100 feet and depends on the experience
of the diver. At the house reef you can expect to find an interesting U/W topography consisting of deep channels and ravines,
a large diversity of soft and hard corals and the smaller but vibrantly colourful typical reef fish. Smaller life forms are
abundant and make fantastic macro opportunities for the U/W photographer. Visibility can be expected to be between 50 and
100 feet.
Paradise
Reef:
Depth 8-15 meters,
Distance from the base: approx. 5 min.
Amazing rock ad
coral formations with many hard and soft corals, swarms of fish and with a little bit luck nurse sharks, stingrays and morays.
Patato:
Depth 5-14 meters,
distance from the base approx. 8 min.
Impressive rock
formations with many small passages and caverns, good chance to see crayfish, lobster and Barracudas.
La Cueva:
Depth 8-13 meters,
distance from the base approx. 10 min.
Reef with many caverns
and caves to dive. You will often meet stingrays, lobster and sometimes nurse sharks.
Tanya V:
Right in
front of the dive base (Neptuno Divers) there is the Tanya V wreck. It was sunk on October 21st 1999, creating a new dive
site for local and visiting divers alike. Approximately 195feet/65meters in length, the Tanya V now rests quietly on a sand
bank at depth of 22-34m, making it a good deep dive for experienced, advanced divers. Although it's going to take time and
patience for marine life to flourish, already Tanya V has acquired her very own barracuda guard!
House Reefs:
On the house reef you can expect to find deep channels and ravines, a large diversity of soft and hard
corals and the smaller but vibrantly colorful typical reef fish. Depths range from 30 to 100 feet and depend on the experience
of the diver. Smaller life forms are abundant and make fantastic photographer. Visibility can be expected to be between 50
and 100 feet.
Catalina Island:
The Wall in front of Catalina Island can be reached by boat in 30 minutes from Bayahibe. Starting at 18
feet with a vertical plunge it is draped with sponges and Black Coral to a depth of 130 feet. The top of The Wall is full
of marine life: corals and sponges in all colors, shapes and sizes, Elkhorn corals and myriad of colorful Caribbean fishes
in shallow water. You can enjoy them just with snorkeling gear.
For the advanced divers
the dive sites near the small island Catalinita offers an exciting experience with black tip sharks, hammerheads and big rays.
