Sperm Whale fluke by Ray Wilson.
DOMINICA
- One of the best places in the world to see Sperm Whales
- And Pilot Whales, and Spinner and Spotted Dolphins
- As well as a chance of other whales such as Bryde's, Cuvier’s Beaked, Dwarf Sperm, Pygmy Sperm, False Killer and Melon-headed, and other dolphins such as Bottlenose and Fraser's
- A few of the Caribbean's and the world's most spectacular birds including Magnificent Frigatebird, Ringed Kingfisher and Green-throated Carib
- And some of the Caribbean’s and the world’s most spectacular localized birds such as two endemic species; Imperial and Red-necked Parrots, as well as the near-endemic Blue-headed Hummingbird, Purple-throated Carib and Brown Trembler
- On a scenic, mountainous, heavily forested island
- Many organized tours to Dominica also include other islands in the Lesser Antilles. Ten of the 15 or so bird species which are endemic to more than one island in the Lesser Antilles occur on Dominica. Another 15 or so single-island endemics in the Lesser Antilles include at least five on St Lucia (including a parrot), a parrot on St Vincent, orioles on Martinique and Montserrat, and a woodpecker on Guadeloupe. On the other islands there are also Red-billed and White-tailed Tropicbirds, and, on Barbuda, the largest colony (about 18,000 pairs) of Magnificent Frigatebirds in the world.
Best Wildlife in Dominica
Mammals
Sperm and (Short-finned) Pilot Whales, and Spinner and Spotted Dolphins. Also a chance of Bryde’s, Cuvier’s
Beaked, Dwarf Sperm, Pygmy Sperm, False Killer and Melon-headed Whales, and (Atlantic) Bottlenose and Fraser’s Dolphins. Red-rumped Agouti has been
introduced.
Birds
Magnificent Frigatebird, Ringed Kingfisher, Green-throated Carib, the endemic Imperial and Red-necked Parrots,
the Lesser Antillean endemics Blue-headed Hummingbird, Purple-throated Carib, (Southern) Brown Trembler, Lesser Antillean Swift, Lesser Antillean
Flycatcher, Scaly-breasted Thrasher, Plumbeous Warbler, Lesser Antillean Bullfinch and Lesser Antillean Saltator, as well as Brown Booby (mostly
Dec-May), Brown Pelican, Green and Little Blue Herons, Broad-winged Hawk, Scaly-naped Pigeon, Zenaida Dove, Ruddy Quail Dove, Laughing Gull,
Bridled, Roseate, Royal and Sooty Terns, Brown Noddy (terns and noddies mostly Apr-Aug), Mangrove Cuckoo, Smooth-billed Ani, Black Swift (mostly
Mar-Oct), Antillean Crested Hummingbird, Lesser Antillean Pewee, Grey Kingbird, Caribbean Elaenia, Black-whiskered Vireo (mostly Apr-Oct), Caribbean
Martin (mostly Feb-Sep), (Southern/Dominica) House Wren, Rufous-throated Solitaire, Red-legged Thrush (probably introduced), Tropical Mockingbird,
Pearly-eyed Thrasher, Yellow (Golden) Warbler, (Lesser) Antillean Euphonia, Bananaquit, Black-faced Grassquit and Carib Grackle. Also a chance of
Forest Thrush (endemic to the Lesser Antilles) and Yellow-crowned Night Heron.
Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish
Excellent scuba-diving and snorkeling, Lesser Antillean Iguana, and Green, Hawksbill and
Leatherback Turtles which nest on some beaches along the north and east coasts, mostly from March to October.
Other Natural Wonders of Dominica
'Boiling Lake'
This large volcanic lake is believed to be the second largest ‘hot-water’ lake in the world, after
Waimangu Cauldron in New Zealand.
Best Sites for Wildlife in Dominica
- Boat trips off west coast Whales, dolphins and a few seabirds.
- Syndicate Nature Trail, Northern FR Imperial and Red-necked Parrots, Blue-headed Hummingbird, Brown Trembler, Lesser Antillean Swift, Lesser Antillean Flycatcher, Scaly-breasted Thrasher, Plumbeous Warbler, Ruddy Quail Dove, Black Swift, Lesser Antillean Pewee, Rufous-throated Solitaire, Red-legged Thrush and Antillean Euphonia. Also a chance of Forest Thrush.
Best Times for Wildlife in Dominica
Sperm Whales are usually present throughout the year but are most likely to be seen from November to April especially in April when there are nursery groups of females with calves. The best time for birds is usually February to June before the hurricane season which normally lasts from July to November and is usually wetter and more humid than the rest of the year.
Recommended Books etc. for Dominica
Collins Field Guide: Birds of the West Indies by N Arlott. Harper Collins, 2010.
Birds of the West Indies by H Raffaele et al. Helm, 1998.
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Tropical Marine Fishes by C L Smith. Alfred A Knopf, 1997.
Butterflies of the Caribbean and Florida by P Stiling. Macmillan Caribbean, 1999.
Trip Reports for Dominica
Many trip reports, some for Dominica, are posted on the websites listed here. On some of these websites some reports are independent and some are posted by tour companies who organize tours to Dominica. These tour companies and others also post their own reports on their websites, which are listed under 'Some Organized Tours to Dominica' below.
- The best website for trip reports is Travelling Birder
- but these are also worth a look
- Birdtours
- Fatbirder
- Jon Hornbuckle
- Mammal Watching
Local Guides and Tours in Dominica
The costs of organized tours partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders. Some leaders are certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional skills of the local guides they employ. If you are travelling independently, employing such local guides will greatly increase your chances of seeing the wildlife you wish to see.
Accommodation in Dominica
Some Organized Tours to Dominica
There are many tour companies who organize tours to see mammals, birds, other wildlife and other natural wonders. The cost of these tours vary considerably according to such variables as the airlines used, the number of days the tours last, the number of sites visited, the number of people in the group (an important consideration if you wish to see such wildlife as rainforest mammals and birds), the number of tour leaders, the standard of accommodation and transport, and the percentage profit the company hopes to make. Generally, where the number of days tours last and the number of sites visited are similar, the cheapest tours are those that use the cheapest airlines, accommodation and local transport, that have the largest groups with the least number of leaders, and that make the least amount of profit. The most expensive tours tend to be those which are exceptionally long, use the most expensive accommodation (ridiculously lavish in some cases, even for single nights) and which make the most profit. Some tour costs partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders. Some leaders are certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional skills of the local guides they employ.
While tour companies organize tours with set itineraries many also organize custom tours for individuals and private groups who instead of taking a tour with a set itinerary want to follow their own itinerary to suit their own personal tastes, whether it be mammals, birds, other wildlife, other natural wonders or even man-made attractions, or a mixture of them all. Many organized tours with set itineraries are also fast-paced and target as many species as possible, whether they are mammals, birds or other wildlife or everything, which usually leaves little time to enjoy the best sites and individual species, but on a custom tour those taking part can specify the pace and the sites and species they wish to concentrate on. Custom tours also suit people who like to travel with people they already know, rather than with a group of strangers, and people with partners with different interests. Individuals and small groups will almost certainly have to pay more than the price of an organized tour with a set itinerary but a large group of friends may be able to travel for less than the price quoted for a set tour.
Tour companies who are running organized tours to the Lesser Antilles including Dominica in the next couple of years include the following. Many of these also offer custom tours.
