Rodney's Rock by Daylight and by Flashlight
One of Dominica’s unique dives is called Rodney’s Rock. Located south of the town of Tarou, this dive site is just off Tarou Point only a 100 yards from the coastal highway. Rodney’s Rock is thought to be a volcanic cap. The reef surrounding the point consists of low-lying coral formations; huge boulders covered with sponges and coral growth, soft corals, and sponges galore of every type and color imaginable. However, the site’s main attraction is its marine life. It seems to be a juvenile day-care, nurturing a wide variety of species. It is an ideal site for both snorkeling and shallow diving, with a maximum depth of about 50 feet. Whether you explore the rock by daylight or make it your night dive choice, you won’t be disappointed in the variety of life you’ll witness.
Rodney’s Rock is named for a famous nonbattle in the history of Dominica. In the early 1800’s, the English and French engaged in a lengthy conflict over control of the island. One night a soldier at Ft. Cashacrou spotted French ships approaching from Martinique for a sneak attack. When Capt. Rodney of the British Royal Navy heard the warning, he was on shore and did not have a ship available. This did not hinder the Captain as he instructed his men to outfit the rocky Tarou Point with lamps and equipment, making it appear from a distance to be a British man-of-war ship. The ruse worked and the French retreated. Capt. Rodney was promoted to admiral for his ingenious solution to this battle that never was.
A giant stride off the back of the boat puts you in about 20 feet of water over a sandy bottom. Swim out away from shore and toward the huge rocky point to begin your adventure. In this sandy area you’ll see lesser electric rays, flying gurnards, stingrays, octopus, and small juveniles of all kinds, as well as prowling goatfish stirring up the sand. Be sure to take time to investigate under loose stones and look in the sand for exceptionally small juveniles. Moving over to the rocks and corals you can poke around here for as long as your air tank holds out and hardly cover much ground at all. Resist this temptation even though you are seeing jackknife fish, a spotted moray eel with a cleaner shrimp on his face, balloonfish hiding in the gorgonians, baby spotted trunkfish the size of a quarter, schools of bigeye and blackbar soldierfish, and plumeworms reaching for the current.
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