Dominica Traveller volume 3

Dominica Traveller 

CULTURE | NATURE | JOURNEY 

volume three 

1 

ISLAND BOUYON 

SIXTH FORM SISSEROU SINGERS 

THE TRADITION OF RUM 

BACK TO THE WILD 

THE NIGHT HUNTERS 

TAKE ME TO THE RIVER 

ONE BREATH NO TANK 

SUSTAINABLE JOURNEYS 

A WALK TO THE SEA

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www.dominicatraveller.com

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WE TRAVEL NOT TO ESCAPE LIFE 

BUT FOR LIFE NOT TO ESCAPE US 

Dear reader, 

Welcome to the third volume of Dominica Traveller. 

Nine feature stories on the themes of culture, nature and journey take us into 

Dominica’s wilderness where we bathe and pause for breath in thick forest and 

abyssal ocean, we wade through enigmatic rivers, we seek out and study nocturnal 

creatures, and we meet fellow travellers with fascinating tales of their own. In true 

Caribbean spirit, we also make time for some dance, some music and, of course, 

a little bit of rum. 

When planning each volume of Dominica Traveller, my ambition is to showcase this 

island by illustrating the breadth of its natural and cultural heritage. From Amerindian 

artefacts, to contemporary dance music, to endemic bats thriving in wetlands and 

forest, this little country has plenty of big stories to tell. 

Whether you have travelled to Dominica from near or far, or if you are lucky enough 

to call the nature island your home, I hope you enjoy reading it. 

Paul Crask 

Editor and publisher 

Email: paulcrask@gmail.com | FB: dominicatraveller | Twitter: @paulcrask 

INSTAGRAM: DOMINICA.TRAVELLER | www.dominicatraveller.com 

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Dominica Traveller is printed in the UK on Edixion Challenger Offset, FSC certified paper. 

Print copies are free of charge in Dominica and are available for purchase worldwide from 

Newsstand UK (see the link on www.dominicatraveller.com). 

Published in October 2017. Text and photographs are protected by copyright. All rights reserved. No 

part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior consent of the publisher. Views and opinions 

expressed by contributing authors and advertisers may not reflect those of the editor/publisher. Every 

reasonable effort has been made to ensure that information published is accurate and credible. 

On the cover: Michele Henderson by Marica Honychurch.

CONTENTS 

IN BRIEF 

8 YOUNG JOURNALISTS 

Stories from two secondary school students 

13 ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE 

Returning to solve the riddle of Amerindian artefacts 

14 CORAL BLEACHING EVENTS 

The impact of climate change on our reefs 

CULTURE 

22 

22 ISLAND BOUYON 

Dominica’s contemporary music scene 

Words by Timothy Rommen | Photographs by Marica Honychurch 

32 SIXTH FORM SISSEROU SINGERS 

A project of endless possibilities 

Words by Leandra Lander | Photographs by Paul Crask 

6 

40 THE TRADITION OF RUM 

An intoxicating taste of the Caribbean 

Words and photographs by Marica Honychurch 

NATURE 

52 BACK TO THE WILD 

Rewilding, forest bathing, reconnecting with nature 

Words by Paul Crask and Terri Henry | Photographs by Paul Crask 

32 

62 THE NIGHT HUNTERS 

Up close and personal with nature island bats 

Words and photographs by Paul Crask 

68 TAKE ME TO THE RIVER 

Unravelling our enigmatic rivers one small step at a time 


JOURNEY 

82 ONE BREATH, NO TANK 

The philosophy and practice of freediving 

Words by Paul Crask | Photographs by Paul Crask and Franck Seguin 

92 SUSTAINABLE JOURNEYS 

Travelling to work and working to travel 


40 

100 A WALK TO THE SEA 

Hiking from Laudat to Castle Bruce 



CONTRIBUTORS 

Terri Henry is an ecotherapy and rewilding guide 

offering forest bathing and rewilding retreats in 

Dominica. 

MARICA HONYCHURCH is a professional freelance 

photographer who specialises in travel and portrait 

photography. 

52 

LEANDRA LANDER is a geography teacher at 

Convent High School in Roseau and was Miss 

Dominica 2007. A member of the Sisserou Singers, 

she is actively involved in Dominica’s cultural scene. 

ARUN MADISETTI is a photographer, marine 

biologist, and scuba instructor. He is also a director 

of local photography company, Images Dominica. 

62 

TIMOTHY ROMMEN is the Davidson Kennedy 

Professor of Music and Africana Studies at the 

University of Pennsylvania. 

FRANCK SEGUIN is an award-winning sports 

photographer who works for L’Equipe in France. 

Special thanks to Franck for allowing us to use his 

fabulous images of freediver Morgan Bourc’his. 

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68 

92 

100 82

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9

MY VILLAGE, Petite Savanne 

Surviving disaster AND celebrating heritage 

Words Haillie Francis, a student at Pierre Charles Secondary School, Grand Bay 

Petite Savanne (Little Savannah or T-Savanne) is a village situated on the south 

eastern coast of Dominica and is known for its steep and rugged terrain. 

According to Dominica historian, Dr Lennox Honychurch: 

“Since colonial times, plantation owners owned much of the rich, gently sloping 

lands in Dominica. When the British took over in 1763 the land was surveyed into 

lots for sale. They created large plantations, which took up the best land, mainly flat 

or gently sloping. When full emancipation of the enslaved population came in 1838, 

the plantation owners settled in places like Mahaut, Massacre and St. Joseph. Poor 

white French settlers from Martinique who had mixed with Kalinagos crowded into 

rugged lands like Good Hope, Petite Soufriere and Petite Savanne.” 

Petite Savanne estate was owned by a French woman named Ma Nichola, 

and is perhaps why many people from Petite Savanne have French names and 

are of light complexion. 

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On August 27th, 2015, Tropical Storm Erica devastated the village, and the 

government took the drastic decision to have everyone evacuated three days 

later on August 30th. With the help of the Barbados Coast Guard, some 

members of the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force, as well as a few 

private entities, most of the residents were transported to safety. 

I can still vividly recall the expressions of fear, doubt, anxiety, anger, frustration 

and uncertainty that overwhelmed the people of Petite Savanne as they 

gathered by the hundreds near the bay side on that hot Sunday morning, 

eagerly awaiting the orders for boarding, and not knowing whether they 

would ever return to see the place they called home. 


YOUNG JOURNALISTS 

Looking back after two years I can truly testify to 

the courage, heroism and resilience of the people, 

and in particular the members of the Petite Savanne 

Cultural Group. During the passage of the storm the 

group tragically lost a prominent member and three 

others had their houses completely destroyed. Most 

of their costumes had also been washed away. 

The group was established in 1964 and has always 

been at the forefront of culture in Dominica. It has 

received several prestigious national awards for the 

enhancement, preservation and promotion of our 

island’s cultural heritage. These awards include the 

E.O. Leblanc Award which they received in 1988 

(they were the first recipients of this award), the 

Golden Drum Award in 1999, and they received the 

Flow Creole Lifetime Award on October 6th, 2016. 

The group has also represented Dominica both 

regionally and internationally. 

As well as participating in many national cultural 

competitions, the Petite Savanne Cultural Group 

has for more than thirty years been providing 

entertainment to the thousands of cruise ship visitors 

who visit our island. A very unique and diverse 

group, their influence is strong, also manifesting itself 

in the training of numerous other cultural groups in 

Dominica. 

In addition to the commonly performed traditional 

dances such as quadrille, heel and toe, flirtation 

and so on, there are some dances that had almost 

disappeared with time. I asked group members 

how they had managed to revive them and they 

said that some elders of the community knew them. 

There was a couple in their late eighties who would 

hum the tunes and recall from memory exactly how 

these dances were performed. And so members 

of the Petite Savanne Cultural Group learned and 

perfected dances such as the hands pie, latay, polka 

merengue, waltz au Vienne and the most entertaining, 

lancers. 

Members worked tirelessly to learn these dances 

and received high praise from the older folks who 

certified that they had indeed mastered them 

all. Burns and Edney Francis, two Golden Drum 

awardees now deceased, are remembered fondly. 

Exactly one month after the storm, the group took to 

the stage as guests of honour at the Arawak House 

of Culture and demonstrated a great resilience to 

rise and dance again. The village of Petite Savanne 

is now being relocated to a place near Bellevue 

Chopin, and there is no doubt in my mind that 

whatever happens, the members of our cultural 

group will continue to dance their hearts out. 

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IN BRIEF | YOUNG JOURNALISTS

Dominica Folklore 

Traditional beliefs, customs and legends 

Words Melissa Williams, a student at Convent High School, Roseau 

In Dominica, folklore is a very important part of our culture as well as a great 

source of entertainment. It can be fascinating, frightening, humorous, and 

captivating. It helps to preserve our heritage and reflects the beliefs of our 

people, right back to their roots. It is also a way of passing on knowledge, 

of interpreting natural phenomenon, and of teaching life lessons and morals. 

Folklore refers to traditional beliefs, customs and stories that have been passed 

down from generation to generation, usually by oral communication. It can 

include traditional art, literature, knowledge and practices, and it can also take 

the form of folktales, myths and legends. 

Most of our Dominican folklore originates from Africa where culture was 

typically handed down through stories from one generation to another. This 

cultural heritage was brought to the Caribbean by slaves during colonial times, 

and African religious figures comprise a significant part of our folklore. These 

figures are also influenced by elements of our European heritage, as well as 

Christianity. 

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One of the best known folkloric characters is the soucouyant. She is a vampire 

witch who sheds her skin and travels through the sky at night as a ball of fire. 

It is possible that Europeans brought myths of vampires to the Caribbean that 

were mixed up with their African counterparts, and out of this the soucouyant 

emerged. 

The soucouyant lives by day as an old woman at the end of a village. By 

night, however, she strips off her wrinkled skin, puts it in a mortar, and flies 

in the shape of a fireball through the darkness, looking for a victim. Still in 


YOUNG JOURNALISTS 

the form of fire, she enters her victim’s home through 

the keyhole or any crack or crevice. Once inside she 

sucks the blood of people while they sleep, leaving 

blue-black marks on their bodies in the morning. The 

soucouyant also practices witchcraft and she trades 

the blood of her victims for evil powers. 

To expose a soucouyant, it is said that one should 

leave a calabash of peas or a pile of rice in the house 

or at the village crossroads. The soucouyant will be 

obligated to gather up every grain before dawn – 

an impossible task - and will thus be caught in the 

act. In order to destroy a soucouyant, it is said that 

coarse salt must be placed in the mortar containing 

the soucouyant’s skin. The salt will prevent her from 

putting her skin back on and she will perish. 

Another well-known Dominican folklore character 

is la diablesse, (the she-devil). It is said that wearing 

one’s clothes inside out can protect you from her! 

Other characters include mama dlo (mother of water) 

who is a combination of a West African water spirit 

and a European mermaid); the ligahoo or loup aroo 

(a man who becomes a werewolf); papa bois (the 

supreme guardian of the forest), the mons (a little 

monster or genie hatched from an egg) and jumbies 

(evil spirits). 

Talking animals also comprise part of our folklore. 

Anansi is one of the best known of these characters. 

He is a cunning spider who uses his wits to overcome 

any obstacle. Anansi is actually the African Ashanti 

word for spider and was an important character to 

generations of slaves as he demonstrated the ability 

of the weak and downtrodden to use brains, wit and 

cunning to triumph over an oppressor. 

Part of Dominica’s folklore also comes from our 

native Amerindian people, the Kalinago. After they 

left South America, they brought their own stories 

that also survived through oral tradition. Their culture 

was also rich in myths and legends. Some examples 

of our Kalinago folklore include hiali (the founder of 

the Kalinago nation) and maruka and imanari (the 

charm makers). 

Our folklore is an important way of preserving 

and remembering our rich cultural heritage and of 

passing on traditional knowledge and beliefs. It can 

also be very entertaining. 

If you are visiting our beautiful and very interesting 

island, a good way to learn even more about us 

is through our rich and very entertaining folkloric 

stories. 

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IN BRIEF | YOUNG JOURNALISTS

Papillote Wilderness Retreat 

Trafalgar, Roseau Valley 

Immaculate and mature tropical gardens with 

waterfalls and mineral rich hot volcanic pools are the 

setting for Papillote Wilderness Retreat, Dominica’s 

most renowned and respected nature resort. 

Located at the top of the gardens, surrounded by 

lush tropical flowers and plants, are two comfortable 

self-catering apartments and suites. Each is 

spacious with two bedrooms, private bathroom, 

fully equipped kitchen, fans, mosquito nets and a 

large porch with garden views. One has its own hot 

pool, and there is free WiFi throughout. 

Our large Rainforest Restaurant is within the 

gardens and surrounded by bird life. From dawn 

until dusk, we serve a fusion of high quality Creole 

and international food with a focus on fresh local 

ingredients. 

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Papillote offers a number of attractive packages and 

is a popular venue for small weddings and meetings. 

For nature lovers, our Interlude Package includes a 

fascinating garden tour, relaxation time in one of our 

hot volcanic pools, and then a delicious lunch. Other 

services include massage and yoga. 

Located at the head of the Roseau Valley, just a 

short walk to Trafalgar Falls and a 15-minute drive 

from Roseau, Papillote Wilderness Retreat is one of 

Dominica’s greatest treasures and a must-see in the 

Caribbean. 

T: (767) 448 2287 

E: papillote@cwdom.dm 

www.papillote.dm 

FB: Papillote Tropical Gardens 


ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE 

Returning to solve the riddle of Amerindian artefacts 

15 

not only was there Amerindian pottery on the estate, 

there was also a small house - all there during the 

time of European occupation. Why ? 

illustration by dr lennox honychurch 

Readers who followed the archaeological dig 

stories in volumes one and two of Dominica Traveller 

may recall that Professor Mark Hauser and his team 

discovered cayo pottery fragments at the site of an 

estate house dating from the 1780s onwards. Cayo 

pottery is of Amerindian origin and did not fit with 

everything else they had discovered there. And so 

in June 2017, Mark returned to the Morne Patates 

site with the specific aim of trying to solve the riddle. 

The team excavated a larger area around the 

previous find and discovered post holes where 

a wooden house had once stood. But this was no 

ordinary wooden house, it seemed, for it was not 

rectangular like all the other dwellings of the slave 

village; it was round. 

A round wooden house, together with cayo pottery, 

is an exceptional find on an 18th century European 

estate because a round house (probably thatched) 

is likely to be of Amerindian design. This meant that 

At a presentation of Mark’s archaeological 

work at Morne Patates, Dominica historian and 

anthropologist Dr Lennox Honychurch was able 

to shed some light on a possible reason for the 

discovery when he referenced a document he had 

read during some work of his own that alluded to 

the presence of a ‘Carib’ who lived on a European 

estate, though seemingly not as a slave. There is now 

some suggestion that it was perhaps not uncommon 

for European estate owners to engage Kalinago as 

resident fishermen - a skill they were known to excel 

at. Mark also believes that next to the round house 

he may have also found evidence of a small ajoupa 

(a very common Amerindian lean-to structure) which 

could well have served as a Kalinago kitchen or 

store room. 

By March 2018, when he has concluded his 

analysis, Mark aims to make everything he has 

discovered in Dominica freely available to the public 

via the Digital ArchAeological Archive of 

Comparative Slavery website (www.daacs.org). 

All archaeological artefacts discovered during the 

team’s field work seasons will remain in Dominica. 

IN BRIEF | ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE

CORAL BLEACHING EVENTS 

THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON OUR REEFS 

Words and photography Arun Madisetti 

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Global warming is not a myth, and neither is coral 

bleaching. Tropical reef-building corals thrive in a 

narrow temperature range - below 18°C (64°F) and 

it is too cold; above 29°C (84°F) and it is too hot. 

The algae (plant) within the coral structure, giving 

the coral its colour, can die and leave the coral (the 

animal), white and unable to photosynthesise. It is 

a fragile relationship; the algae takes in sunlight, 

produces oxygen and sugars, the coral utilises these 

for growth, as well as for capturing prey with its 

tentacles. The waste from the corals’ metabolism 

feeds the algae. This, in a nutshell, is how the process 

works. One feeding the other in a circular system. 

Coral bleaching is a natural process. Some believe 

it is a means by which the coral can expel the algae 

and repopulate with hardier strains. However, 

corals can get stressed and bleached (and die) from 

anthropogenic sources too, for example siltation, 

inorganic nutrients, and other pollutants. Prior to 

the 1980s bleaching was generally a localised 

event, however since then, larger scale, even global 

bleaching events - caused by both climate change 

and human impact - have become more common. 

The past few years have seen an alarming increase 

in what are known as bleaching years on the world’s 

reefs. The first and most recent massive and fully 

monitored event in our region was in 2006, when 

many of our neighbouring islands lost a significant 

percentage of their coral cover. Some never 

recovered. In that year, bleaching was evident all 

the way down to 30m (100ft); on plate corals in 

particular. Here in Dominica, in the shallows of 

Champagne Reef, the fire corals and elkhorn corals 

(pictured above) bleached over a period of two 

months. Elsewhere the soft corals off the midwest 

coast were also impacted. Over a period of several 


17 

weeks Dominica divers watched in alarm as healthy 

corals slowly grew paler and paler on our reefs. 

Some died, leaving stony strictures bereft of colour. 

Others, in a period from November 2006 to the end 

of January 2007, went from healthy to bleached, 

but then regained their health and colour again. 

Why and how did they manage that ? 

While our neighbouring islands were basking in 

the heat, here in Dominica we were experiencing a 

weather disturbance. Large swells brought up lots of 

cold water from the depths, and this mixing cooled 

the surface temperatures enough for the hardier 

corals to rebound and others to begin the process. 

Luckily for us we have extremely deep water very 

close to shore, and this is what saved and continues 

to protect our coral reefs. Warm water – a major 

factor creating bleaching events globally - is less 

dense and sits on top. Dominica lacks a continental 

shelf on the west coast; in some areas a depth of 

over a kilometre can be reached within just two 

metres of the shoreline. This deep ocean water is 

nutrient rich and much cooler. 

Having deep, cold water close to the shore hides a 

multitude of human sins, but it also protects our reefs 

from extreme bleaching events caused by climate 

change and other factors. This is why scuba diving is 

exceptional here compared to our neighbours. Not 

only are our reefs colourful and dramatic, the deep 

nutrient-rich waters help to keep them far healthier 

than places where the water is shallow and warm. 

But we must not be complacent, for it is not just 

climate change that bleaches and kills reef systems 

- siltation, chemical fertilisers and pollution are also 

serial killers of coral. 

IN BRIEF | CORAL BLEACHING EVENTS

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Sisserou Lodge 

Reigate, Roseau 

Enjoy panoramic mountain and sea views from 

the cool balcony of Sisserou Lodge, located on a 

peaceful ridge high above Roseau, with AC, fully 

equipped kitchen, modern furnishings, large bed, 

TV, WiFi and exclusive use of pool with gazebo and 

loungers. Convenient for the city, major hiking trails, 

dive shops, hot volcanic spas and the sea, your 

hosts offer onsite support, housekeeping, laundry 

service and full grocery welcome pack. A unique 

opportunity to relax in comfort, close to Dominica’s 

favourite sites. 

T: (767) 277 8714 

E: fsawers@gmail.com 

Find us on AirBnB ! 

URBAN GARDEN CAFE 

8 Castle Street, Roseau 

Healthy, organic and delicious, Urban Garden’s 

daily menu offers a mouthwatering choice that 

includes lunch specials, wraps, tacos, stuffed 

waffles, rotis, salads, burritos, vegan options and 

more. Using fine, fresh ingredients, Urban Garden’s 

breakfasts, lunches and daytime snacks are served 

at unbeatable prices. Looking for great tasting, 

healthy food in the Roseau area ? Drop into Urban 

Garden Café in the French Quarter. Open 8am-5pm 

Mon-Thu, until midnight Fri, and 10am-5pm Sat. See 

you soon ! 

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T: (767) 317 8888 

E: urbangardendominica@gmail.com 

FB: Urban Garden Cafe


THE LOFT ART & CAFE 

Victoria Street, Roseau 

Frequently cited as one of the best spots on island 

for seafood dishes, The Loft is a very relaxed and 

unpretentious café, bar and art gallery on the 

waterfront in Newtown, just a five-minute walk 

south of Fort Young and the French Quarter. 

The popular lunch and dinner menu includes catch 

of the day, lionfish, octopus, calamari, shrimp, roti 

and much more. Try the lobster wrap, the pork bagel 

burger or the one and two-mast beef burgers with a 

selection of sea sides - basmati rice, garden salad, 

or maybe some breadfruit fries. Delicious desserts 

include home-made coconut marble cheesecake 

and banana icecream. 

Dine indoors or al fresco on the covered waterfront 

deck. The Loft’s art gallery and gift shop has a wide 

selection of original paintings, crafts and souvenirs. 

Open Mon-Sat. There’s no better place to chill. 

CAFE desiderata 

Old Street, Roseau 

T: (767) 440 4660 / 285 5036 

E: theloftdominica@outlook.com 

FB: The Loft art & cafe 

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Step out of the hustle and bustle of the capital into a 

hidden oasis of tranquillity and good taste. 

Deconstructed haute Caribbean cuisine in a 

chic and stylish setting is the daily fare at Café 

Desiderata where excellent dining is accompanied 

by attentive and gracious service. Our breakfast and 

lunch menu varies daily, depending on what is fresh 

and available from our organic garden. Favourites 

include smoked marlin jalapeño pasta, fisherman’s 

crunch, and our delectable selection of rice bowls. 

But everything is crisp, fresh and delicious here. 

We open our lounge on Saturday evenings for tapas, 

tempura, fine wines and good conversation. 

Worldly flavours, home-grown healthy organic 

food and exquisite attention to detail and service 

is our mantra. We are located near the Old Market 

Square in the French Quarter of Roseau. 

T: (767) 448 6522 / 448 6525 

E: desideratasales@gmail.com 

FB: Café Desiderata

Garraway Hotel 

Dame Eugenia Charles Blvd (Bay Front), Roseau 

Located on Roseau’s Bay Front, within the Old 

French Quarter and near the cruise ship jetty, 

Garraway is a hotel of international standards and 

reputation. An ideal choice for both the business 

and leisure traveller, its deluxe rooms and suites are 

well appointed and spacious. They have en suite 

bathrooms, AC, WiFi and fans. 

The modern conference room can accommodate 

up to 175 and is perfect for business meetings, 

workshops and social functions. 

Delicious fine Creole and international cuisine is 

served daily in the Balisier Restaurant and more 

casual drinks and dining can be enjoyed in the Ole 

Jetty Bar or on our open-air rooftop terrace. 

We pride ourselves on excellence and extend a 

warm welcome to all our Garraway visitors. 

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Pearl's Cuisine 

Old Street & Hanover Street, Roseau 

T: (767) 449 8800 

E: garraway@cwdom.dm 

www.garrawayhotel.com 

FB: The Garraway Hotel 

Did you know Pearl’s Cuisine has a fabulous 

dining room right in the heart of Roseau? Located 

in the Sutton Place Hotel on Old Street, we serve 

high quality Creole lunches from Monday through 

Saturday. We also cater for birthday parties and 

wedding receptions. 

If it’s in season, it’s on your plate; be it fresh garden 

salad and vegetables, catch of the day, roast pork, 

beef, lamb or chicken. It’s all delicious. 

Our take-out shop on Hanover Street has been 

popular for years. Pick up a roti, a Creole lunch or 

a fresh fruit juice - there’s always plenty of choice. 

A Dominica treasure and tradition for over 25 years, 

and still with some of our original staff, Pearl’s 

Cuisine is where good taste matters as much as cost. 

Pearl’s Cuisine dining at Sutton Place Hotel on Old 

Street, take-out on Hanover Street, Roseau. 

T: (767) 448 8707 

FB: Pearl’s Cuisine 


Evergreen Hotel 

Castle Comfort, Roseau 

Situated on the waterfront just one mile from Roseau 

and with easy access to the island’s popular natural 

attractions and dive shops, Evergreen is a beautiful, 

peaceful and relaxing 16 room hotel with fine dining 

Sea Surge restaurant and casual Cafe Sol. The airconditioned 

rooms are en suite with cable TV, WiFi, 

and some with private balcony. A detached and 

private waterside bungalow offers extra luxury. 

In addition to the swimming pool and sun terrace, 

there is direct access to the Caribbean Sea with a 

mini dock, patio and a stony beach. In less than a 

minute you can be snorkelling on the house reef in 

the company of colourful tropical fish, corals, and 

even passing turtles. 

Cafe Sol serves breakfast and bites until late, and 

the Sea Surge restaurant offers an exquisite fusion of 

Creole and international dishes. Watch sailboats at 

anchor, enjoy breathtaking sunsets, or drop in for a 

Lazy Sunday buffet from 1pm to 4pm with live music. 

If you are anchored nearby, simply follow the sound 

of music and come and join us ! 

Airport transfers, weddings and celebratory events, 

island tours, hiking guides, scuba diving and whale 

watching can all be arranged for you. 

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T: (767) 448 3288 / 277 4691 / 614 4057 

E: info@evergreenhoteldominica.com 

www.evergreenhoteldominica.com 

FB: Evergreen Hotel

ISLAND BOUYON 

Dominica’s contemporary music scene 

Words Timothy Rommen 

Photographs Marica Honychurch 

If you happen to arrive in Dominica during Carnival or the 

Independence season, your ears — actually, your whole body 

— will be assailed by the sounds of bouyon music. Bands like 

Triple Kay, WCK Band, Asa Banton, along with many others, 

work all year to be ready to provide the soundtrack for these 

weeks-long celebrations. You hear them live at clubs, hotels, 

and stadiums; on the road among crowds of fans during 

Carnival; and on radio, social media, and television. You’ll 

hear lots of other Dominican music too, including traditional 

sounds like jing ping and lapo kabwit, along with the everpopular 

genre called cadencelypso, but bouyon is the 

dominant popular music in Dominica at the moment. 

24 

This up-tempo, dance-inducing, intense, fun-producing 

music is special in that it could only have been imagined 

and conceived by artists who understand deeply the roots 

of Dominican musical life and who also see themselves as 

musical citizens of the whole Caribbean. Bouyon sounds the 

way it does because it grounds itself in several very important 

local musical ideas while simultaneously drawing on the 

sonic resources of the wider Caribbean for inspiration. This 

approach to creating music is, to my mind, indicative of the 

way Dominican’s approach their place in the region more 

generally. That is, as proud people who also understand their 

deep historical connections to their island neighbours and to 

the wider region—as citizens of both island and archipelago. 

Gordon Henderson (one of the pioneers of cadencelypso) 

put this sentiment and orientation into lyrical form in a song 

called Antillais Sans Frontières, singing, “Some may say we’re 

divided by the sea. I say we’re united by the sea.” This is a 

beautiful recognition of the nature of island life. Yes, water 

does separate the Caribbean islands one from the other, but 

the sea also connects each of them in meaningful ways. 

opposite: triple kay internationaL 


CULTURE 

25 

CULTURE | ISLAND BOUYON

26 


27 

asa banton on stage at the world creole music festival 


28 

This kind of connection to the wider Caribbean is not 

easy to imagine; partly because one of the legacies 

of colonialism is a region politically and linguistically 

divided. But Dominica’s colonial history (France 

and Britain long competed for control of the island) 

and its current status as an English-speaking nation 

located in a French Caribbean neighbourhood (right 

between Guadeloupe and Martinique) mean that 

Dominicans continue to feel a longstanding and 

deep cultural affinity with both the anglophone and 

francophone Caribbean. This translates into musical 

ideas and styles that demonstrate, as Henderson 

would say, that Dominicans feel “united by the 

sea” to the wider region, and bouyon makes these 

sentiments audible day in and day out. 

above and opposite: triple kay international 

OVERLEAF: WCK BAND 

When bouyon was incubated during the 1980s, the 

nation had just gained independence from Britain 

(1978) and many young musicians and cultural 

activists were caught up in the project of nation 

building. The WCK band, widely credited with 

developing the basic approach to what would 

come to be called bouyon, experimented with 

various local musical ideas, combining them with 

sounds drawn from the wider region. They took 

rhythmic inspiration and accordion sounds from jing 

ping ensembles, listened carefully to the rhythmic 

complexities of lapo kabwit (carnival drumming), 

and combined these ideas with sounds drawn 

from zouk (a French Antillean genre) and soca (an 


anglophone Caribbean genre) to create a new 

music characterised primarily by its mixture of local 

and regional influences. Eventually, this genre was 

named bouyon, a local term for a broth or stock 

that forms the base for a wide variety of culinary 

options (any meat and vegetables on hand can go 

into the pot). This culinary metaphor of Creoleness 

(of mixture) fits perfectly the aims and sounds of the 

musical genre, and bouyon has continued to find 

ways of making these connections to both local and 

regional sounds ever since. 

What makes bouyon so unique among the popular 

musics of the Caribbean is its commitment to 

crossing over linguistic and political boundaries. 

Most artists choose to write music that will appeal 

to the constituency they know best (anglophone, 

francophone, etc.). Mixing too obviously across 

these boundaries can muddy the waters in terms 

of market and marketing. And yet, because of 

Dominica’s history, because of its small size, and 

because musicians in Dominica were and continue 

to be exposed to both anglophone and francophone 

sounds, this type of mixture — this Creole sound — 

makes intuitive and creative sense. Bouyon then, can 

be understood as one response to living a creative 

life in Dominica. 

Today, WCK and Triple Kay connect with audiences 

both in Dominica and around the region (they tour 

regularly), representing Dominica but sounding like 

a mash-up of soca and zouk — that is, they sound 

recognisable to audiences in the francophone 

and anglophone Caribbean. Occasional phrases 

in French Creole, stage tactics taken from soca 

(multiple lead singers taking turns driving the crowd), 

and a brutally efficient combination of drumming 

and programmed percussion create a powerful 

presentation, regardless of where they happen to be 

playing. Although the sounds of the accordion have 

(mostly) fallen by the wayside, replaced by more 

modern keyboard sounds, the core of bouyon’s 

connection to Dominica’s traditional music types 

remains strong, and Dominicans are proud of the 

continued connection that bouyon makes to its local 

musical roots. 

Bouyon, then, is a popular music that stakes a claim 

as both local (island) and regional (archipelagic) 

music through its deliberate reliance on the sonic 

resources of both, through its insistence on sounding 

Creole. So, if you are lucky enough to hear bouyon 

live during Carnival or at the World Creole Music 

Festival, you will be engaging with a genre that 

is making both a musical argument and a very 

gentle political point. Dominica may be small, but 

it sounds as big as the whole Caribbean. Colonial 

histories may have left a region currently fractured 

and divided, but music can illustrate the powerful 

connections that remain. 

29 


30 


CULTURE | ISLAND BOUYON 

31

32 

If you are in Dominica for long enough, you will 

hopefully also experience two other artists who 

are pushing the boundaries of what local music 

sounds like. I am referring specifically to the music of 

Michele Henderson and Breve Muzik. 

Michele Henderson has, for the past two decades, 

been a pioneering vocalist intent on exploring r&b, 

jazz, and local genres in relation to each other. She 

has maintained an impressive international touring 

schedule while also developing a signature music 

style. Instead of focusing only on developing the 

sonic resources of Dominica and the Caribbean, 

Henderson has consistently reached beyond the 

region to find inspiration in genres that are more 

cosmopolitan. And yet, despite this broader reach 

and appeal, she too is still deeply indebted to a 

backdrop of local island music (and in particular, to 

cadencelypso). She remains a staple at the World 

Creole Music Festival and Jazz And Creole, and 

if you are fortunate enough to see and hear her 

perform, you will enjoy an artist that proudly and 

skilfully combines international sounds with local 

flair. 

Breve Muzik is an up-and-coming band consisting 

of musicians who are exploring what it means to 

sound Dominican through an appetite to experiment 

with and perform a wide-range of musical genres. 

Always grounded in regional rhythmic ideas and 

traditional sounds, the band moves easily between 

jazz, alternative, folk, and r&b, composing songs 

that are by turns acoustic ballads, full-on jazz-rock 

tunes, as well as tributes to local style. This group of 

musicians is just beginning to tour outside of Dominica 

(including a cruise ship season) and, if you get the 

chance to hear them at a festival such as Creole in 

the Park or perhaps at a live show during Carnival, 

you will be presented with a vision of Dominica that 

is refreshingly devoid of stylistic lineages or genre 

expectations. This is a band intent on centring the 

island through drawing on the musical resources of 

the world. 

From the infectious bouyon of Triple Kay and WCK, 

to the locally-inflected yet cosmopolitan r&b and 

jazz of Michele Henderson, on to the more worldly 

approach of Breve Muzik, Dominica’s contemporary 

artists are performing in a way that rethinks the 

notion of island music in the terms suggested by 

Gordon Henderson. This approach is a powerful 

reminder that small nations can sound big, and that 

island music can help us hear the connections that 

political, social, and racial histories often obscure. 

If you are lucky enough to travel to Dominica, I 

encourage you to enjoy these sounds not merely 

as wonderful statements of musical creativity, but 

also as profound social and political arguments for 

interconnectedness. 


ABOVE left: michele henderson 

above and right: Members of Breve Muzik 

33 

Timothy Rommen is the Davidson Kennedy Professor of Music and Africana Studies at the University of 

Pennsylvania. He specialises in the music of the Caribbean with research interests that include decoloniality, 

critical theory, ethics, tourism, diaspora, and the intellectual history of ethnomusicology. He is the author of 

“Mek Some Noise”: Gospel Music and the Ethics of Style in Trinidad and “Funky Nassau”: Roots, Routes, and 

Representation in Bahamian Popular Music. He is also co-editor, with Daniel Neely, of Sun, Sea, and Sound: 

Music and Tourism in the Circum-Caribbean (Oxford University Press, 2014) and editor of and contributing 

author to Excursions in World Music (Routledge, 2016). 


Sixth Form Sisserou Singers 

A project of endless possibilities 

Words Leandra Lander Photographs Paul Crask 

A celebrated CULTURAL INSTITUTION, 

The Sixth Form Sisserou Singers PROVIDES a platform 

for choral music and holistic development. 

34 


CULTURE | SIXTH FORM SISSEROU SINGERS 

35

36 

What was initially meant to be a simple project 

between The Division of Culture, spearheaded by 

cultural officer, Miss Pearle Christian, and a group of 

mostly female students of the former Clifton Dupigny 

Community College (one of the island’s only tertiary 

education institutions at the time), has now evolved 

into the celebrated choral group that is known as the 

Sixth Form Sisserou Singers, and which has survived, 

excelled and also connected hundreds of young 

men and women for the last 23 years. 

It is a remarkable fact that what started out as a 

simple musical ensemble for graduations and other 

school ceremonies, has become a focal point for so 

many young people who, before this choir existed, 

had limited opportunities for any kind of performance 

experience or personal development. It has served 

as a home-away-from-home for overseas friends 

such as our African members, Clementine, Marie- 

Pascale Affana and Samuel Aasipelokai, who 

came to Dominica to study medicine. Additionally, 

it has honed the skills of successful musicians such 

as Michele Henderson, Webster ‘De Web’ Marie, 

Janae Jackson, Delah Gachette and Tasha ‘Tasha 

P’ Peltier. Similarly, this amazing cultural group has 

given participants of national pageants such as 

Daina Matthew, Nadine Sylvester, Royette Laurent, 

Michelle Joseph and Miss Dominica winners, 

Leandra Lander (2007) and Tasia Foissac (2016) the 

valuable experience of stage performance. 

The Sixth Form Sisserou Singers has provided a solid 

grounding not just for musical ability, it has also 

helped to develop organisation and leadership skills 

as our members are nominated to sit on an executive 

that plans and manages stage shows such as the 

Christmas Humanitarian Tour (where we visit and 

entertain the elderly and infirm in our communities), 

the annual summer full length production, and 

numerous others. Many members have gone on 

to form or manage community, church and school 

choirs and groups. The Sixth Form Sisserou Singers is 

not just about choral singing, as it has also provided 

our accompanying musicians with the experience of 

playing their instruments as part of lively and diverse 

stage shows. 

The choir has connected people from all parts of 

the island and beyond. Its magical attraction has 

brought together vibrant personalities from southern 

communities such as Grand Bay, and spirited 

young people from eastern hamlets like Atkinson, 

La Plaine, Riviere Cyrique and Morne Jaune. 

Members also come from the northern communities 

of Portsmouth and Calibishie, west coast villages 

such as Colihaut, Salisbury, and Mahaut, as well 

as the capital Roseau and its suburbs. Through this 

group, strangers from near and far have bonded 

together and have even become maids of honour 

and best men at each other’s weddings, godparents 

to each other’s children, and in some cases, even 

each other’s wives or husbands! It has created 

lifelong friendships teeming with support for one 

another in good and bad times alike. Most of us take 

away the music, but all of us take away the lessons 

of love, dedication, second chances, team work, 

excellence, determination and family. Of course, 

we have experienced our share of challenges and 

setbacks regarding group dynamics, differing views 

and personalities, conflicting ideas and preferences, 

and we all come from varied backgrounds, but 

when the music starts, all of this fades away and the 

aim of producing a high quality performances takes 

precedence. 

Since 1994, the group has performed a myriad of 

songs such as Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, beautiful 

hymns by Joseph M. Martin, classic show pieces 

from Broadway plays like Cats and Les Miserables, 

pulsating soca, popular calypso and reggae tunes, 

all the way through to rhythmical and scintillating 

African Chants and Caribbean folk specials. 

Every member, with joy on their face, and a warm 

feeling in their heart, can render their favourites in 

a heartbeat; be it the spicy Guyanese folk song 

‘Timba’ immensely enjoyed by the 2015 cohort, 

or the hauntingly beautiful ‘Ogwio’ which was 

composed by director Pearle Christian herself, and 

of which the 2004 cohort were especially fond. 

The third daughter of Henkel L. Christian and Muriel 

Matthew Christian, Pearle had a vision for the youth 

of her island and it is certain that she has surpassed 

any expectations she may have envisaged both for 

herself and for those she has influenced. She may 

not have any biological children of her own, but she 

has hundreds of young people who affectionately 

call her ‘Aunty’, and who embrace her as if she were 

their mother. With her warm smile, arched brows, 

charming sense of humour, talented fingers on flute 

and piano, firm discipline and loving embrace, she 

has made an impressive and lasting impact on the 

choral music landscape in Dominica through the 

development of young people. 



37

38 



39

through the DEVELOPMENT of young people, 

Pearle has made a lasting impact on the 

choral music landscape of Dominica. 

There is truly no one quite like this pearl of a woman. She has taught 

us so many life lessons; hard work, compassion for others, being good 

and positive people, and never settling for anything but our best effort. 

All of this could be summed up by the group’s motto that anything worth 

doing is worth doing well. Pearle often reminds us that we are only as 

good as our least prepared singer. In other words, it is about far more 

than individuals. We are at our best when everyone around us is also 

at their best. And that is the unfailing message not just for performance 

and rehearsal success, but also for the problems we face in this world. 

40 

This much loved choral group has performed in a whole spectrum of 

colour, it has sung from thousands of scores and music sheets, belted 

out hundreds of different folk songs, honoured numerous stalwarts of 

music in Dominica, performed at countless cultural galas, cocktails, 

conferences, ceremonies, staged twenty full-length productions, and 

has accommodated close to 200 young people. Wow! But beyond all 

those performances and achievements, the Sixth Form Sisserou Singers 

has provided its diverse and fluid association of members with strength, 

joy and lessons that will last a lifetime. 

A few years ago, we sang ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, a show tune from 

the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. It is a song that 

sums up my experience as a member of the Sixth Form Sisserou Singers. 

Indeed I am sure this rings true for all who have been lucky enough to 

be part of what has become a cultural institution in Dominica. Everyone 

needs just one person to believe in them and, in this group, I found that 

one person and many more. 

When the curtain goes up and the lights go on, you know that twenty 

or more other voices are right there with you. Pearle stands out in front, 

confident that she has done her best as a director, tutor and mentor, and 

that you now have the chance to make an impact. We are not perfect, 

but we are parts of a project that has created so many possibilities. 

And we sing. 

www.dominicatraveller.com 

Leandra Lander is a geography teacher at Convent High School, 

Roseau. A member of The Sixth Form Sisserou Singers since 2005, she 

was crowned Miss Dominica in 2007, and is an active member of 

Dominica’s cultural scene.


41

the TRADITION OF RUM 

an intoxicating taste of the caribbean 

Words and photography Marica Honychurch 

With a culture and history as rich as 

that of the Caribbean, why should its 

trademark spirit be any differenT ? 

Rum has spawned a culture so deeply associated with 

Caribbean life that this three-letter word conjures up images 

of pirates, beaches, dominoes, colourful rum shops, and the 

dark visions of slavery and war. 

Just as wine or brandy has many variations, the rum styles 

around the Caribbean range from light to dark, aged, 

spiced and flavoured; all with distinct notes of their own. 

42 

Dominicans’ relationship with rum does not have the same 

scale and reputation as other Caribbean islands, notably 

Barbados, Jamaica, and Martinique, where flat land is 

plentiful and rum-making prospered. But as this island has 

always proven, we do things in our own way and with a 

little of our own ‘vari’ to use the Creole phrase for style. 

A drive around the island will quickly reveal the importance 

that rum plays in our culture and its strong association with 

a wide range of social activities. 

Peppered amongst the little villages, or even in isolated 

areas in the mountains, you can always find a rum shop. 

A simple structure in design, its brightly painted walls and 

shutters come straight to the point with a sign somewhere that 

informs patrons that the proprietor is licensed to sell spirits and 

malts by retail. Here form follows function in a most charming 

and uninhibited way. Inside, the wooden shelves are lined 

with spirits, and a few people, usually men, are lounging 

on wooden stools by the counter, getting their daily shot of 

rum, and engaging in a bit of social life, political debate, 

and the latest gossip. The place is unassuming, inviting, 

sometimes lively and boisterous, and laid out in a ‘come as 

you are’ manner. 


CULTURE | TRADITION OF RUM 

43

44 


LEFT: PLANTING AND HARVESTING SUGAR CANE 

BELOW: VATS AND WATER-POWERED CANE-CRUSHING MACHINE WORKS AT THE MACOUCHERIE ESTATE 

45 

CULTURE | THE TRADITION OF RUM

There is laughter, shouting, raised voices, and “pax!” 

- the slamming down of dominoes against the top of 

a small wooden table; four men seated around it, 

relaxing with their dominoes in one hand and a drink 

by their side… 

As many know by now, Dominica is no ordinary 

island. With the constant conflict between the English 

and French, and with the Kalinago people fiercely 

and justifiably fighting to protect and hold onto their 

land, Dominica was established as a neutral island 

in 1660 to be left to the Kalinagos forever. French 

authorities decreed that no byproduct of sugar cane 

- rum, molasses or sugar - could be manufactured 

in Dominica because as far as they were concerned 

the island’s future ownership hung in the balance 

and any investment in the expensive machinery 

required would inevitably be a risky business. 

As events unfolded, it was the British who broke this 

treaty of neutrality and took over the island in 1763, 

with an eye to stripping the forested mountains and 

covering the river valleys and hillsides with fields 

of sugar cane. Dominica was a late arrival into the 

sugar and rum business (one hundred years after 

Jamaica and Barbados) but it made up for lost time 

and within a decade was pumping out the product. 

Scattered around the dryer portions of the island, 

there were a few sugar mills that were driven by 

teams of oxen; along breezy ridges there were 

some six known windmills, but most notably, thanks 

to the profusion of fast flowing streams, there were 

61 water-driven mills around the island. Only one 

of these water mills still operates today, crushing 

sugar cane on the Macoucherie Estate. Elsewhere 

around the island the ruins of mills, distilleries and 

boiling houses can still be found, with huge, rather 

decrepit waterwheels still in place, with iron rollers, 

crumbling canals and aqueducts. Signs of a once 

bustling industry can still be found in places like 

Rosalie, Hampstead, Geneva and - perhaps the 

best preserved structure - the Old Mill in Canefield. 

The production of rum can be quite complex. The 

growing of the cane is very tedious and, even today, 

demands intensive labour. A large area is cleared to 

cultivate the cane which takes approximately a year 

to mature before it is reaped and transported to the 

mill. The cane stalks are crushed by rollers to squeeze 

46 


out the cane juice which is then funnelled into large 

vats to ferment. On many of the islands, the rum is 

produced from molasses which is another step in the 

process. However, in Dominica, the production of 

rum is more fashioned after the French style known 

as Rhum Agricole. Instead of fermenting molasses, it 

is the sugar cane juice which is fermented and then 

distilled to produce a unique and sweeter flavour. 

As recently as the 1970’s Bagatelle, Belfast and 

River Estate also produced rum through the cane 

juice process. Today there are two major distributors 

in Dominica – Belfast Estate, which now blends 

and processes rum from imported molasses, and 

distributes brands such as Red Cap, Soca and 

Bois Bande - and Shillingford Estates, producers of 

Macoucherie Rum, which operates the last standing 

distillery in Dominica that processes the rhum 

agricole style from its cane fields to the bottle. 

The Macoucherie Estate dates back to 1770 and 

a few of its original buildings, including the mill 

house, still stand today. In 1827, 196,000 pounds of 

sugar, 4,025 gallons of rum and 7,225 gallons of 

molasses were produced there. However, by 1890 

it concentrated only on the production of rum. After 

many changes in ownership the estate was acquired 

by Howell Shillingford in 1930. His descendents 

still manage the estate. It is powered by one of the 

last two water-driven mills in the Caribbean (the 

other being River Antoine in Grenada). Twenty to 

thirty percent of the estate’s land was allocated to 

sugar cane plantations and the small but admirable 

company produces 10,00 gallons annually which is 

sold locally to outlets scattered around Dominica. 

With the unfortunate damage caused by Tropical 

Storm Erika in August 2015, Macoucherie Estate 

was seriously affected. The river burst its banks, 

sweeping over the cane fields and through the mill 

yard, flooding the works and rum store, bringing 

production to a halt. The distillery is working towards 

operating again by the end of 2017. 

Cask rum is a popular variant in Dominica, sold both 

by Belfast and Macoucherie, to rum shops, caterers, 

hotels, bars and restaurants. The blending in wooden 

barrels and a proof of about 128%, makes this 

strong tannin-infused spirit a desirable substance to 

mix with herbs and spices, creating wide varieties 

of intoxicating blends. The island’s rum shops often 

47 

CULTURE | THE TRADITION OF RUM

ILLICIT rum production is also a colourful aspect of 

Dominica’s folk culture 

have spiced rum selections which can include nanni (rosemary), pwev (the 

scented leaves of the costus plant), and anything else that you can think of: 

lemongrass, lavender, basil, sea grapes and much more. 

Illicit rum production is also a colourful aspect of Dominica’s folk culture. 

Dating back to 1765, when laws were first passed to regulate the production 

of spirits, illegal distilleries emerged to avoid taxation. Initially subsistent 

farmers were the main culprits and it became more of a feature during the 

19th and 20th centuries when little stills were set up in the hills near isolated 

villages. Known as ‘Zaid’ or ‘Wabiyo’ in Creole and ‘Mountain Dew’ in English, 

the illegal rum was made by crushing cane in hand-operated squeezers. The 

juice was collected in calabashes and then transferred to small boilers in 

which the distillation took place. In its heyday, this rum was sold by word of 

mouth through a network of informants linked to communities located in hard 

to access areas such as Petite Savanne. 

48 

Dominica’s rum, although produced in small quantities, provides an exquisite 

taste of the island’s history. 

Born and raised in Dominica, Marica Honychurch moved to the U.S in 

her late teens where she was first introduced to the world of photography. 

Gaining a B.F.A at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Marica was able to 

experience film and dark room processes before transitioning over to digital. 

She also attended the Hallmark Institute of Photography where she spent 

time developing her skills in commercial photography, before moving to 

New York City to work as a photographer. Marica now resides in Dominica 

as a freelance photographer, however travels for work mainly in document 

and portrait photography. She recently co-founded a design company, Blue 

Curtain Creative with her sister, Petrea Honychurch-Seaman. 


CULTURE | THE TRADITION OF RUM 

49

The Tamarind Tree Hotel & Restaurant 

Salisbury 

Centrally located on the Caribbean coast, The 

Tamarind Tree has 15 double rooms with en suite 

bathrooms, ceiling fans and porch. Superior rooms 

also have AC. 

Perched high on a cliff, our guests enjoy fabulous 

sea views while relaxing in the gardens, pool and 

Jacuzzi. Three 2-bedroom self-catering cottages 

are ideal for independent travellers and families. 

Each is bright and airy with en suite bathrooms, 

living area, kitchen and veranda deck. 

Hotel and cottage guests, as well as the public, 

enjoy a cooling breeze in our open-sided restaurant 

while dining on excellent Creole and international 

fare. The local Kubuli beer is available on draft! 

The Tamarind Tree is welcoming, family-friendly 

with German and French also spoken. We are a 

proud member of Eco Tropical Resorts. 

T: (767) 449 7395 

E: hotel@tamarindtreedominica.com 

www.tamarindtreedominica.com 

FB: The Tamarind Tree Hotel 


KARIB BAY BEACH BAR 

Mero Beach 

Enjoy beach vibes to the max at Karib Bay Beach Bar 

- the full service beach experience on Dominica’s 

beautiful mid west coast. 

Relax with al fresco dining on our spacious covered 

beach deck where French and West Indian cuisine 

is served daily. All our dishes are created from the 

natural land and sea gardens of Dominica using 

only the freshest and highest quality ingredients 

available. We offer late breakfast, lunch and dinner 

every day from 10am. Just turn up and enjoy great 

food and a peaceful ambiance. We have a full bar 

and our fresh fruit smoothies are thirst-quenching and 

delicious. We are proud to be accessibility-friendly, 

we have loungers, toilets and showers, and a mini 

boutique that is stocked with personally selected 

authentic local arts, craft, natural products, tee shirts 

and literature that reflect our love and respect for the 

environment. We also offer wellness treats such as 

massage on the beach, and our Kingdom Rental Car 

service gives you the flexibility you need to explore. 

Every Easter Sunday we host Reggae On The Beach 

- a very popular annual fund-raising charity concert 

for the Dominica Association for Persons with 

Disabilities (DAPD). It is a chilled-out event that is full 

of great music, peace and love, and where you can 

relax on the beach enjoying local and international 

reggae artists as well as great food and drink. See 

you soon at Karib Bay ! 

51 

T: (767) 449 7922 

FB: Karib Bay Beach Bar

Harmony Villa 

Layou Road, Pont Casse 

Nestled on two acres of undulating forested gardens 

on the western foothills of the Morne Trois Pitons 

National Park, this artistic Caribbean style home 

with just the right touches of luxury offers families, 

couples, adventurers and creatives an ideal spot 

from where to experience some of the most beautiful 

natural attractions on Dominica. 

Just a few minutes from the Waitukubuli National Trail 

break between segments 4 & 5, as well as numerous 

other fabulous hikes and waterfalls, Harmony Villa 

is the perfect blend of comfort, inspiration and 

convenience in the ‘Heart of Dominica’. 

Offering four en suite bedrooms, full kitchen and 

open living spaces, including a large wrap around 

veranda, guests can enjoy delicious meals ‘al fresco’ 

and caring attention from a dedicated team. 

T: (+44) 74 7046 6502 / (767) 245 4166 

E: info@harmonyvilla.com 

www.harmonyvilla.com 

FB: Harmony Villa 


Citrus Creek Plantation Riverside Cafe & Lodge 

La Plaine 

Located alongside the Taberi River, in a 20-acre 

protected valley, and within easy reach of natural 

attractions such as Sari Sari Falls, Wavine Cyrique, 

and Bout Sable Beach, Citrus Creek is ideally 

situated for exploring the east. 

There are no pretensions here and a relaxed and 

comfortable ambiance makes you feel right at home. 

Eight wood and stone cottages and villas, part of 

a rental pool program, fit perfectly into the forest, 

garden and river environment and suit all budgets 

and tastes. 

Fresh breakfast ingredients are delivered daily to 

your door and airport transfers, tours and excursions 

can all be arranged for you. The Riverside Café is 

open daily to guests and visitors, serving lunches 

and dinners. Creole with a touch of France - the food 

is always fresh and delicious. 

Banana LAMA Eco Villa & Cottages 

Newfoundland Estate, Rosalie 

T: (767) 446 1234 

E: riverside@citruscreekplantation.com 

www.citruscreekplantation.com 

FB: Citrus Creek Plantation 

53 

Set within three acres of riverside, organic farm, 

and forested land, and completely off-grid, Banana 

Lama is a fully self-sustainable, peaceful and private 

accommodation option for independent travellers. 

The self-contained, spacious cottages are just a few 

footsteps from the lovely Cacao River. They have a 

fully equipped kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, living 

area and large covered veranda overlooking the 

gardens and the river. There is also WiFi throughout. 

Owners and hosts, Melissa and Andy, have sailed 

around the globe on superyachts and the diverse 

world cuisine that can be prepared and served for 

you in the luxurious and stylish villa is a reflection of 

their voyages. 

Banana Lama is located close to the turtle nesting 

sites at Rosalie and the waterfalls of the south east. 

T: (767) 446 1183 

E: bananalamaecovilla@mailbox.as 

www.bananalamaecovilla.com 

FB: Banana Lama Eco Villa

54 

Back to the wild 

Rewilding | Forest bathing | Reconnecting with nature 

Words Paul Crask and Terri Henry Photographs Paul Crask 


NATURE 

55 

NATURE | BACK TO THE WILD

56 


R e w i l d i n g 

is a modern ecological and social movement with an ancient 

premise, that the wild is where we come from and that making an 

effort to re-embrace it, and to protect it so that it can survive and 

thrive, are ways of behaving that will also benefit us as humans. 

Many of its practices are well suited to this island, for pure, unspoilt 

wilderness is what Dominica still has in abundance. 

Like most places in the world, Dominica has a history 

of people living in the wilderness, of indigenous 

bushcraft skills, and of hunter gatherer societies. 

Migrating Amerindians travelled in canoes they 

made from large gommier trees, waterproofing their 

cedar bordage with sap and volcanic sand. They 

knew how to forage for fish and shellfish, they knew 

how to make spears, tools, fish pots and baskets 

from the natural materials that were around them. 

Plants provided food and medicines. After European 

colonists arrived in the region, runaway enslaved 

Africans (Maroons) from Dominica, Martinique and 

Guadeloupe lived in communities in the island’s 

high forests, and as recently as the late 1970s when 

Dominica was in a period of political and social 

turmoil, there was a movement to reject the rules 

of what many perceived to be a corrupt and unjust 

modern society, and return to the wild places. 

Roy Ormond and his wife Cherry (pictured left) did 

just this. The political situation at the time certainly 

played a part, but Roy’s childhood love of camping 

in the forest, his interest in natural living and a vegan 

diet, and the importance he placed on selected 

Biblical teachings, were all important factors in 

the decision to take a leave of absence from the 

‘modern’ world. Family-owned farmland near 

Bellevue Chopin had been partly reclaimed by 

the wild and Roy spent his free time constructing a 

simple wooden house as a weekend escape. One 

day in 1978, the couple gave up everything and 

retreated to the forest. 

Casting off modern clothing, they wove fibres from 

the stem of a species of banana plant and made 

skirts, vests, shoes and blankets. They planted ground 

provisions and vegetables to eat, they carried water 

from a river, and they kept a fire burning for warmth. 

They learned to make knapsacks from vines as well 

as how to dry and store foods. 

“When I became conscious I realised that a temple 

is not something that is built with stones and 

hands. We are each our own temple. I took the 

separation vow of the Nazirite and this helped to 

guide me spiritually although I cannot say I fit in any 

conventional category of religion. I also became 

a vegan because I believe the teaching that herb, 

not beast, was the food for man. I believe this is 

also borne out by scientific evidence that meat is 

a secondary and not a primary food source,” Roy 

explains. “I had changed my diet for a number of 

years before I went to live in the forest, and I had 

learned a lot from my mother who was a herbalist.” 

Roy and Cherry were joined in the forest by two 

other like-minded couples and their children. They 

extended the house so that it was big enough for 

everyone, they shared in the cooking and other 

chores, they went hiking and exploring, and on 

Saturdays they would take a day of rest, eat fruit 

they had foraged, relax and talk. 

“A baby boy was born to one of the couples when 

we were living there,” Roy continues. “My mother 

57 


was also a midwife so we knew what to do. It was a 

great experience.” 

Roy and Cherry recall both the beauty and the 

mystery of the forest and though most unusual 

discoveries and events could be easily explained, 

one night a bright beam of light containing all the 

colours of the rainbow briefly lit up a part of the 

forest. 

“I have seen rainbows at night before,” says Roy. 

“They are usually a combination of moonlight and 

moisture in the air. But this was different. It was very 

bright and very brief, almost like lightning, yet it 

was rainbow coloured. We all saw it. I still haven’t 

come across an explanation for that particular 

phenomenon.” 

Everything changed in 1979 when the storming of the 

Roseau police station resulted in escapees fleeing to 

the very same area of forest. The men burned down 

their house. Without any kind of clothing, the group 

were foraging for new materials when Hurricane 

David struck the island. They made it back and were 

in the process of starting again when more men 

arrived. Fearing for the children, they reluctantly 

made the decision to leave. They had spent a full 

year living in the woods. 

“I can never regret that year,” Roy says. “It was 

the healthiest any of us had ever felt. We had no 

ailments, we were hard-working and strong, and 

we gained a lot of wisdom. The forest also helped 

my mental strength, I learned how to overcome 

problems and so now I don’t get stressed out.” 

Roy and Cherry continue to enjoy a very spiritual 

way of life and their bond with nature remains 

strong. They are still vegans and Roy is noted for his 

understanding and appreciation of medicinal herbs 

and natural oils. At their base at Harmony Gardens 

near Bellevue Chopin, they welcome Waitukubuli 

National Trail hikers and they particularly enjoy 

meeting and talking with other herbalists. 

“I’m planning to go back there again,” smiles Roy. 

“I still camp in that area, I just love it. I go there to 

enjoy the stillness of the forest and the birds singing.” 

58 


TERRI HENRY is a modern practitioner of rewilding in Dominica. We go forest 

bathing together; experiences she has designed to create a deliberate pause in 

the rhythm of life, to take time to focus on and appreciate natural surroundings 

and reawaken a connection to nature. As we walk, she explains what rewilding 

means to her and how it has impacted her life. 

Growing up in the English countryside, I always felt 

a strong bond with the natural world and the desire 

to play a role in protecting it. During my teens and 

twenties when I lived in London, I sought refuge in 

local parks from the hectic pace of city life, and I 

would take night-time walks along busy streets 

just to catch a glimpse of the full moon between 

buildings and skyscrapers. It was my way of keeping 

a connection to the natural world and of nourishing 

my sanity and wellbeing. 

By the time I moved to Dominica to live, I was hungry 

to be fully immersed in nature and a natural lifestyle. 

My paternal family roots are Dominican and as the 

ancestral connection to the land pulsed in my veins, 

I felt whole and truly alive. 

I had taken courses in permaculture design, 

massage therapy and other healing arts, and 

became fascinated with ecopsychology, a discipline 

that seeks to understand our intrinsic connection with 

nature, how it shapes us, why so many of us modern 

humans choose to distance ourselves from it and the 

effects of that disconnection. I chose to experiment 

with rewilding my life; living in ways that create 

greater health and well-being for both humans and 

the ecosystems that we belong to. 

As I looked around the modern world and saw the 

epidemic proportions of anxiety, stress, depression 

and chronic physical disease alongside ecological 

catastrophe, it became clear to me that the current 

human lifestyle that is increasingly sedentary, 

59 


urbanised and indoors and disconnected from 

nature, is a big cause of our problems. I came to the 

conclusion that solutions for many of our complex 

personal and planetary issues could start with the 

simple act of reconnecting with nature. 

I began to create a fusion of wellness experiences 

in harmony with nature. The forest bathing I guide is 

one of the ways I seek to help others to enjoy a deep, 

sensory connection to nature; to slow down, awaken 

their senses and de-stress from the pressures and 

distractions of life. More than a temporary quick fix 

though, I hope that this experience inspires people 

to create an enduring relationship with nature and 

feel its ongoing benefits. Time spent in the natural 

world is essential to our wellbeing as human beings; 

we need daily doses of Vitamin ‘N’. 

the magic of it all. Shifting tempo and perspective 

helps people gain clarity on issues that have been 

bothering them, or generally have a renewed sense 

of wellbeing and purpose. 

There are many practices in forest bathing that 

people can take with them into everyday life 

for daily doses of nature connection. One of the 

simplest is to remove your shoes and spend time 

grounding on the earth. Being barefoot allows us to 

be a conduit for the earth’s natural, gentle electrical 

charge and helps to rebalance our body and control 

free radicals caused by pollution and foods. 

Connecting barefoot with the earth is also a moment 

for peaceful connection to your greater ‘earth 

body’. It’s a moment to appreciate gravity as a 

60 

Forest Bathing is the translation of the Japanese word 

Shinrin-Yoku 

which has been developed and studied since the early 1980’s and 

shown to be a highly effective way to improve wellbeing. 

When some people hear the term forest bathing they 

think they are going to get wet amongst the trees but 

it’s not that at all. Forest bathing is a mindful and 

meditative practice that focuses on soaking in the 

ambience of nature, opening the senses and being 

in the present moment - it’s like a warm bath for the 

mind and soul. 

Forest bathing and spending time in nature has 

been scientifically proven to have significant and 

measurable health outcomes such as an improved 

immune system, lower blood pressure, reduced 

stress, increased attention, focus and memory. 

Nature connection also helps children with ADHD, 

accelerates recovery from illness or surgery, 

increases energy levels, and enhances our sleep 

and levels of creative energy and overall subjective 

happiness. When we connect deeply to nature we 

feel more alive because we are more alive ! 

During a forest bathing session I encourage people 

to slow down and notice the details. So often we 

walk past nature without pausing to look closer at 

the beauty and interconnections, and appreciate 

form of unconditional love and sense your sacred 

oneness with all of nature. As astrophysicist Neal 

De-Grasse Tyson says: “Accepting our kinship with 

all life on earth is not only solid science, it’s also a 

soaring spiritual experience.” 

One of the easiest ways to enjoy a nature connection 

moment is to focus on the breath, noticing the 

reciprocal relationship between you and the plants 

around you, and expressing gratitude for the nature 

that is the foundation of our lives. Seeing ourselves 

as part of the web of life helps us and the earth to 

be healthier. When we do something that is good 

for the earth, we are doing something that is good 

for us too. 

There are numerous other nature connection 

practices we can incorporate into even the busiest 

of schedules to boost our health. Getting a decent 

amount of sun exposure is crucial for sufficient 

vitamin D levels and a well-functioning immune 

system. I encourage people to get full body sun 

exposure whenever possible - although please note, 

this is up to you to do on your own - it’s not part of 

my forest bathing programs ! 


NATURE | BACK TO THE WILD 

61

“I am losing precious days. I am degenerating 

into a machine for making money. I am learning 

nothing in this trivial world of men. I must break 

away and get out into the mountains to learn the 

news.” John Muir 

My journey of rewilding also includes eating local, 

seasonal foods, natural movement practices, using 

herbal medicines to prevent and heal illness, natural 

birthing, community living, bushcraft skills, and living 

in tune with natural seasons and cycles. Interestingly, 

and perhaps controversially, it has been my efforts 

to rewild that have led me away from a 25-year 

vegetarian and vegan diet to eat in a way that more 

closely reflects that of being a wild hunter-gatherer. 

I appreciate the role of certain technology in our 

lives but I look to a future where the knowledge and 

practice of how to live in harmony with nature are 

considered humanity’s greatest developments. 

62 

In Dominica we have amazing opportunities to live 

wildly – clean spring water, nature in abundance, 

seasonal sun-ripened foods, rivers, hot volcanic 

sulphur pools, seas and forests to bathe in. It’s a 

nature playground for fun and freedom that offers a 

refreshing alternative to many of the arguments and 

rhetoric for ‘saving the planet’ or engaging in basic 

environmentally responsible behaviour that are often 

boring, guilt-ridden and restrictive. Real care and 

action for our personal and planetary health emerge 

from joy, beauty, love, immersion, engagement, 

and nature connection. Rewilding can lead us into 

a future of mutual well-being. I recommend it for 

everyone. 

Terri ‘EarthDancer’ Henry is an ecotherapy 

and rewilding guide offering forest bathing and 

rewilding retreats in Dominica and plenty of online 

inspiration for those wanting to get closer to nature 

in other parts of the world. For more information 

please go to www.liveyournature.com 


Wilderness was here before us, we evolved in it and, though our path has 

been to walk away from it, migrating en mass to more urban landscapes and 

sprawling, overcrowded cities, for many the call of the wild remains within. 

63

THE NIGHT HUNTERS 

Up close and personal with nature island bats 

Words and photography Paul Crask 

64 

artibeus jamaicensis 


Twelve species of bat have been recorded in 

Dominica. One of them, Myotis dominicensis is only 

known to occur here and in Guadeloupe. A tiny 

insect-eating bat, it is listed on the IUCN Red List 

Of Threatened Species as ‘vulnerable’. Very little is 

known about this little mammal. 

I July 2017 I was invited to accompany bat experts, 

Lisa Simms and Kate Derrick on a field study. The 

aim was to record bats in three 600m transects 

of rainforest and, if possible, capture the Myotis 

dominicensis and fit it with an electronic tag that 

would enable the scientists to track it to its roost. 

We are camped out on a forest track above 3 Rivers 

Eco Lodge, near Rosalie, where the scientists are 

based. They are here with Operation Wallacea 

(Opwall), an organisation that runs a series of 

biological and conservation management research 

programmes in remote locations across the globe 

(www.opwall.org). We have set up two very fine 

catch nets on long poles. The sun has gone down, 

darkness is coming, and the night-time chorus of 

frogs, crickets and other insects is in full voice. The 

display and sounds coming from Lisa’s ultrasonic 

detector tell us that bats are all around. One 

particular sound ‘shape’ suggests that one of the 

calls may be coming from Myotis Dominicensis. 

Lisa explains that she is interested in recording 

diversity and abundance of bats along the three 

transects in the forest but trying to find out more 

about the endemic Myotis Dominicensis is of special 

interest to her. She would like to determine where 

they roost during the day, as well as try to assess 

their population status here on the island. The way 

she hopes to do this is by capturing and tagging 

females that are lactating, as they will return to the 

roost to feed their young. This particular bat feeds 

on insects - Lisa also hopes to collect fecal data 

(that’s bat poo to you and I) so that she can figure 

out through DNA analysis exactly what insects they 

eat - and she will measure and weigh them too. 

myotis dominicensis 

monophyllus plethodon 

65 

NATURE | THE NIGHT HUNTERS

66 

Depending on the species of bat, the roost may be 

located in a tree, in a building, or in a cave - which 

Lisa believes to be most likely. Directly below the 

ridge where we are standing is the Brown’s River, a 

tributary of the Rosalie River - and she has previously 

noted bats coming from that direction, up and over 

the ridge, and into the forest to feed. If she manages 

to tag a bat tonight, she expects to be tracking the 

signal to a river cave in daylight tomorrow. If she is 

successful in finding a Myotis roost, she hopes to get 

research funding for a masters project and return to 

Dominica to study the bat in far greater detail. 

Lisa also explains that catching insect-eating bats 

such as the Myotis in these fine nets is not always 

straightforward. Contrary to popular belief, bats are 

not blind, they simply don’t see very well and rely 

on echo-location to find both their way around and 

their food in the dark. Fruit-eating bats do not have 

quite as sophisticated echo-location as insect-eating 

bats. Because bats such as the Myotis can sense 

and accurately pinpoint a single flying mosquito, 

they can also sometimes sense the presence of the 

net and may fly around it, whereas fruit bats tend to 

simply blunder into it. 

Kate notices a bat in the net and gently retrieves 

it for study. This is a monophylus plethodon, also 

known as the Lesser Antillean long-tongued bat. 

She explains that this particular species of bat feeds 

on nectar and is common in banana plantations 

where it is also a pollinator. It is a small bat with a 

long tongue for reaching into flowers to feed. This 

particular specimen is a male. Kate checks the 

general health of the bat, measures and weighs it. I 

am invited to touch the fur, which feels like any other 

mammal. Bat flies are present. These are specialised 

ectoparasites that live in bats’ fur and on their wing 

membranes. They feed on the blood of their host. 

The next bat we catch is the same species and is soon 

followed by Artibeus jamaicensis, also known as the 

Jamaican fruit-eating bat. This is a larger bat and 

Kate has to wear thicker gloves to handle it in case 

it bites, which it does. Bats are known to be rabies 

carriers though there has never been any evidence 

of this in Dominica. As a precaution, gloves are 

worn to handle them and bat scientists are usually 

vaccinated against the disease. The Jamaican fruiteating 

bat is common and widespread. It is known 

to roost in trees, caves and occasionally buildings. 

Just as Lisa is beginning to think she is out of luck with 

her ambition to catch a Mytosis Dominicensis, one 

flies into the high net. It is a lactating female; exactly 

what she was hoping for. She fits it with an electronic 

tag that sends a signal to her hand-held receiver 

via a small antenna and, happy that everything is 

ARDOPS NICHOLLSI 


working, she releases the tiny creature back into the 

darkness. 

The following day, Lisa and Kate try to track the bat 

to its roost. They follow the Brown’s River, scrambling 

over boulders and wading through deep pools, but 

are unable to pick up a signal from the tag. Lisa is 

fairly certain she is in the correct general area but 

the terrain turns out to be far too challenging. 

Undaunted, a few nights later they ask me if I would 

like to join them at a different location; the Cabrits 

swamp. Lisa is keen to follow-up previous surveys 

done in this area and would like to see if we can 

catch Dominica’s largest bat this time; the Noctilio 

leporinus, also known as the fisherman bat. 

KATE 

Together with the expansive marshlands at nearby 

Glanvillea, the Cabrits swamp is a very important 

wetland habitat for wildlife, particularly water birds, 

invertebrates, and crustaceans. Lisa tells me that on 

at least two occasions in the past, the fisherman bat 

was netted here; the first time there were lots, the 

second much fewer. There is some speculation that 

an increase in lighting from nearby developments 

may have affected the number of bats in this area. 

Noctilio leporinus is well known to fisherman around 

the island. It is a large bat that lives in coastal caves, 

LISA 

artibeus jamaicensis 

67 

KATE 

NATURE | THE NIGHT HUNTERS

emerging at nightfall to skim brackish water for small 

fish. Lisa was interested in seeing if she could catch 

one here, as well as learning about other bats that 

feed on insects along the margins where dry forest 

meets swamp. 

Spending a Saturday night standing knee-deep in 

swamp water with invisible creatures swimming 

around my legs, mosquitoes and other insects 

buzzing my ears, trying to catch a very large gingercoloured 

fish-eating bat, was certainly a first for me. 

But this is typical of the kind of work carried out by 

naturalists in an attempt to study wildlife, to answer 

questions, and to learn more about the natural 

world we live in. I admired Lisa and Kate for what 

they were doing here, and what they have done in 

countless other places around the world in pursuit of 

their scientific interests. This is not easy work; it can 

be expensive, and is often frustrating. But when a 

new and interesting discovery is made, it makes the 

hardship worthwhile. And there is always something 

new to learn in our world, even on a little-known 

Caribbean island called Dominica. 

68 

Two bats are caught in quick succession; Artibeus 

jamaicensis, the Jamaican fruit-eating bat, and a 

new species for me this time, Ardops nichollsi, also 

known as the Lesser Antillean tree bat. This little fruiteating 

creature has yellowish ears and noseleaf - 

the appendage it uses for echolocation. It is known 

to inhabit dry forest lowlands where it roosts in trees. 

The fisherman bat proves elusive, we neither catch 

nor see one, and Lisa speculates that perhaps 

the expansive grasses covering much of the 

wetland, together with the bright security lights of 

developments on either side of the swamp, could 

have contributed to the decline in the species in 

this particular habitat. In the two weeks she has 

remaining in Dominica, she will turn her attention 

to other brackish water locations around the island 

as well as continue her search for the roost of the 

Myotis dominicensis. 

Before I went out on these two field trips, I was one 

of many people who had a rather irrational fear of 

bats. But now I know a lot more about them and 

have been up close and personal with several of 

the species found here, my attitude has changed 

completely. I am now curious about and respectful 

of a creature that has inhabited this earth for over 

50 million years, that reforests the planet by widely 

spreading seeds, that pollinates some of the fruit 

and crops we eat and that keeps insects down to 

manageable levels. 

Bats are cool. 


NATURE | THE NIGHT HUNTERS 

69

TAKE ME TO THE RIVER 

UNRAVELLING OUR ENIGMATIC RIVERS 

ONE SMALL STEP AT A TIME 


70 

According to the marketing people, Dominica has 

365 rivers - one for every day of the year. This is 

the same number of beaches attributed to Antigua 

- according to their marketing people. Beaches are 

probably easier to count than rivers, so Antiguans 

could easily do a fact check. But in Dominica, the 

truth is that we don’t actually know how many 

springs, streams (seasonal or permanent), headwater 

channels, unnamed tributaries, and named rivers, 

we have altogether. Considering the relatively small 

footprint of our island, that’s an astonishing fact. 

Dominica has one of the densest clusters of volcanoes 

in the world and there are regions of relatively 

inaccessible forest-covered river valleys and steep 

mountain slopes that few people, at least in modern 

times, have explored. Because of this, not many of 

our rivers have been properly studied or documented 

from source to sea. 

Visiting researchers come to Dominica to study natural 

sciences, including rivers and lakes, but they usually 

focus on a particular specialism - a subject they are 

writing a research paper about and for which they 

have received specific grant funding. Individually they 

are short anecdotes, but collectively, together with 

good old fashioned exploration, they may eventually 

help to tell a more comprehensive story. 


71 

BOERI RIVER ON ITS WAY TO MIDDLEHAM FALLS 

NATURE | TAKE ME TO THE RIVER

72 

In June 2017, a group of research students led by 

Dr Amanda Schmidt, Assistant Professor of Biology 

at Oberlin College, Ohio, came here to study river 

sediment and water chemistry. 

The story that river sediment tells is an interesting one 

- if you can get your head around it. Collect river 

sediment samples at a point that is representative of 

a broad watershed, and also unaffected by ocean 

tide, then chemical analysis can tell you a little bit 

about what has been going on upstream, in the 

interior. Amanda was particularly interested to see 

if river sediment could help to tell the story of soil 

erosion rates. 

Soil erosion rates are measured in millimetres per 

year and, apparently, numbers greater than one 

millimetre are rare and suggest either a significant 

man-made or natural impact on the upstream 

watershed (the area in which any drop of rain that 

falls there will come out at the same point). Despite 

the extreme weather we have experienced in recent 

times, Amanda was not expecting measurements 

of that proportion here in Dominica. This may come 

as a surprise to those who live here and who have 

witnessed rivers of mud and rocks like we saw during 

the passing of tropical storm Erika in 2015. 

The explanation is based on both frequency and 

area. If Dominica experienced an Erika event 

regularly, it could theoretically cause a millimetre 

of erosion. But that volume of rainfall would also 

have to have an impact on or shift a millimetre of 

sediment from every spot of the entire watershed. 

For every landslide on a watershed there is actually 

still a great deal of the watershed that did not have 

a landslide. This means that although there may 

be a lot of sediment coming from one area, there 

are many more areas where no sediment is being 

removed. It is all relative. So the erosion rate takes 

into account the average movement of sediment 

over the entire watershed in a year. 

But how can you tell where river sediment has come 

from or how far it has travelled along a river ? This is 

where rather complicated science comes in. 

Amanda’s research team sampled river sediments 

at selected points around the island, each of which 

represented large watersheds (see the map above). 

High topography data and software was used to 

define the primary drainage basins and 19 rivers 

were selected for sampling. Tidal areas such as 

the Indian River have to be avoided for this kind 

of sediment sampling because the study is only 

interested in sediment that has washed down from 

the interior watersheds of the island. The samples 

collected were sent for chemical analysis back in the 

US. This analysis will look for the presence of certain 

chemicals. 

Beryllium-10 is a radioactive isotope of beryllium 

and is formed mainly by the impact of cosmic rays 

(highly energetic charged particles from beyond 

Earth ) on oxygen. If a rock is within two meters of the 

soil surface it will begin to accumulate Beryllium-10 

within any quartz hidden inside at a rate of about 

five atoms per gram per year. This can increase with 

elevation and latitude but is a good rule of thumb. 

This means that the faster the rock moves from 

two meters below the surface, to the surface, the 

less Beryllium-10 it will contain within any quartz - 

simply because it has had less time to accumulate. 

If the rock takes a lot longer to come to the surface 

the opposite effect occurs. So if a quartz sample 

has a high proportion of Beryllium-10 you could 

reasonably conclude a slow erosion rate, and vice 

versa. 

Amanda’s team will also look for and measure fallout 

radionuclides (FRNs) using the Cosmogenic Nuclide 

Laboratory at the University of Vermont. Two of the 

three types of FRNs are natural, the other is not. 

Caesium-137 is associated with nuclear weapons 

tests and nuclear fallout from accidents such as 

Fukushima and Chernobyl. Beryllium-7 is a naturally 

occurring radionuclide that also falls out of the sky 

and clings to the outside of rocks and becomes 


ROSALIE RIVER 

PAGUA RIVER 

73 

RIVER BLANC, A TRIBUTARY OF THE ROSEAU RIVER 

WHITE RIVER AT VICTORIA FALLS 


SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH COMPLEMENTS EXPLORATION AND OBSERVATION 

74 

part of the soil particles that are also present 

from weathering. The third naturally occurring 

radionuclide is lead-210. All of these nuclides can 

be analysed to help determine how long sediment 

has been on the surface, and from this, erosion rates 

can be derived. In addition to sediment, the research 

team has also been collecting water samples for 

chemical analysis. 

The background erosion rates and water analysis 

will provide a baseline against which future 

environmental measurements can be plotted. 

Imagine a scenario where agriculture, deforestation 

(natural or man-made) or industrial activity, is visibly 

affecting our rivers. We would be able to measure 

and test sediment and water quality, compare the 

data against the baseline study, and then determine 

accurately if any of these events are creating 

pollution, erosion or soil loss on a level that should 

cause alarm. We sometimes hear people talking 

about how rivers have changed over their life 

time, that they are smaller or shallower than years 

ago - well this kind of anecdotal evidence can be 

measured against science to determine what has 

actually been happening to both the rivers and the 

land in the interior. 

Amanda does not expect to see anything other 

than natural causes of upstream erosion because 

we do not currently have large scale agriculture, 

development or deforestation, and the erosion rates 

derived from the watershed sediment sampling and 

radionuclide testing ought to correlate to the number 

of landslides that occurred during extreme weather 

events such as tropical storm Erika in 2015. 

The sampling and analysis that Amanda and her 

team are undertaking is complex and difficult for 

non academics to properly understand, but we can 

still use the results of her work, in combination with 

other scientific research and our own exploration 

and observation, to better understand our island’s 

vast network of enigmatic rivers, river landscapes 

and wildlife. 

BELLE FILLE RIVER EN ROUTE TO CASTLE BRUCE 

LAYOU RIVER NEAR BELLS 


75 

LAMOTHE RIVER FALLS ABOVE THE VILLAGE OF COTTAGE 


Manicou River 

Portsmouth 

Fully solar-powered and set amid ten acres of 

forested hillside overlooking Douglas Bay and the 

Cabrits National Park, Manicou River’s cottages, 

bar and bistro make for an authentic, comfortable 

and extremely scenic island vacation. 

Each of the cottages has a double bed, bathroom, 

kitchen and a deck with panoramic views that are 

certainly among the best on the island. The opensided 

bar and bistro combines rustic and natural 

with style and attention to detail, serving a set menu 

of French Caribbean dishes. Seating is limited and 

meals are by reservation only so please call ahead. 

Or just turn up for a drink and sample the much 

sought after Manicou River fruit infused rum - the 

selection is varied, the taste delicious and smooth. 

Just like the cottages, the restaurant views are jawdroppingly 

awesome. 

76 

Le Petit Paris Bakery 

Picard (opposite Ross University) 

Roseau (next to Alliance Francaise) 

T: (767) 616 9343 

E: info@manicouriver.com 

www.manicouriver.com 

FB: Manicou River 

Authentic and irresistible, the daily fresh baguettes, 

breads, croissants, fruit tarts, eclairs and creamy 

cakes baked at Le Petit Paris are out of this world. 

And if you don’t have a sweet tooth, no worries; try 

the delicious quiches, baguette sandwiches, stuffed 

croissants, fresh salads, or 12-inch pizzas instead! 

There are lots to choose from and everything is 

carefully prepared with high quality ingredients and 

an unmistakable hint of France. 

Le Petit Paris Bakery is located on the main boulevard 

in Picard, opposite Ross University, and also in 

Roseau, next door to the Alliance Francaise at the 

rear of the Botanic Gardens. 

Both locations have outside dining and are open 

from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Le Petit Paris 

in Roseau opens until 9pm on Fridays for Pizza Party 

(buy 1 pizza, get a free glass of wine; buy 3 pizzas, 

get a full bottle !). Bienvenue. 

Welcome to Le Petit Paris Bakery. 

Roseau T: (767) 317 3333 FB: Le Petit Paris Roseau 

Picard T: (767) 275 7777 FB: Le Petit Paris Picard 


VILLA VISTA 

Hodges Bay, Calibishie 

Veranda View Guest House 

Calibishie 

Villa Vista is a very private, peaceful and relaxing 

three-bedroom retreat nestled above the tranquil 

Hodges Bay, near the coastal village of Calibishie. 

With terracotta roof tiles, hardwood jalousie 

windows and shutters, and Middle Eastern stone 

floors, this stylish villa is an eclectic fusion of 

Mediterranean and Caribbean. From the spacious 

verandas there are unrestricted views of Hodges 

Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and the volcanic red rock 

coastline. 

The upper floor is dominated by the master suite with 

a king-sized bed, spacious wet room with toilet, 

wash basin and shower, a large private veranda 

and a spa room with Jacuzzi. The ground floor has 

two bedrooms, a shared bathroom, fully equipped 

kitchen and dining area, laundry, powder room, and 

a spacious veranda with an infinity pool. 

As for the vista, well come and see for yourself .... 

T: (767) 235 5760 / 275 1010 

E: villavistadominica@yahoo.com 

www.villavistadominica.com 

77 

Colourful and artistically designed three bedroom 

waterfront accommodation on the main road in 

Calibishie, Veranda View Guest House offers 

affordable comfort in a tranquil environment, with 

a cooling breeze and the soft music of the sea as 

constant companions. Guests can quite literally step 

from Veranda View into the clear, calm and shallow 

water that is protected by an inshore reef. 

Owner and host, Hermien, is a talented painter (you 

can buy her art) and a great cook. She specialises 

in home-made European and Creole dishes (guests 

only by request), especially fish, which is bought 

daily from local fishermen. 

After a day exploring the island, relax in a hammock 

on your own private veranda and enjoy panoramic 

views of the bay. Veranda View Guest House is 

located just 20 minutes from Portsmouth and the 

airport. 

T: (767) 445 8900 

E: booking@verandaviewdominica.com 

www.verandaviewdominica.com 

FB: Veranda View Dominica

Pointe Baptiste Estate Chocolate 

Pointe Baptiste, Calibishie 

The colourful chocolate factory at historic Pointe 

Baptiste Estate is where you will find some of the 

nature island’s most delicious chocolate being made. 

Created and managed by estate owner and 

chocolatier, Alan Napier, the factory produces 

delicious nibs, truffles and bars in various strengths 

and flavours including 80% cocoa, mint, tangerine, 

ginger and many others. All of the chocolate made 

here is produced from Dominica’s exquisite fine 

flavour cocoa. 

You will find Pointe Baptiste Estate Chocolate for 

sale all around the island but if you want to buy 

it at source and even see how it is made, you are 

welcome to call in at the chocolate factory for a 

tasting and a tour. 

Pointe Baptiste is located close to the village of 

Calibishie and the awesome red rock coastline. 

78 

Coral Reef Shopping CentRE 

Calibishie 

T: (767) 225 5378 

E: chocolate@pointebaptiste.com 

www.pointebaptiste.com 

Located on the main street in Calibishie, Coral Reef 

Shopping Centre is your one-stop shop for food, 

drink and essential supplies when visiting and 

exploring the beautiful north east of Dominica. 

If you are holiday-making in one of Calibishie’s 

fabulous villas or self-catering apartments, look no 

further than Coral Reef for all your essential needs, 

food, drink, toiletries and household goods. 

We stock fresh and frozen meats, a selection of dairy 

products, freshly harvested vegetables, household 

supplies, and a good selection of wines, beers, 

spirits, mixers, soft drinks and juices. We have daily 

fresh bread and we even have a selection of light 

bites, snacks, cakes and pastries. 

Our staff are welcoming and helpful, and our service 

is second to none. Drop in and see for yourself. 

Coral Reef Shopping Centre has all you need. 

T: (767) 445 7432 


Coral Reef Restaurant & Bar 

Calibishie 

One of Dominica’s least visible restaurants, yet 

one that is certainly worth seeking out, Coral Reef 

Restaurant & Bar is hidden behind the ‘one-stopshop’ 

Coral Reef Shopping Centre in the heart of 

main street in the popular and scenic coastal village 

of Calibishie. 

Located right on the waterfront, with coconut palms 

and a sliver of powder-white sand, discovering 

Coral Reef Restaurant & Bar is both a surprise and a 

delight, like finding buried treasure, and the journey 

is just as rewarding. 

Our tables are set along the open-sided deck and 

diners can enjoy a cooling breeze as well as great 

views of the Atlantic Ocean, the tranquil waters of 

the reef-protected bay, the volcanic islets, and the 

dramatic red rocks of nearby Pointe Baptiste. Our 

friendly staff are happy to serve a varied daily menu 

of local and international dishes that suits all budgets 

and tastes, and our restaurant is open every day 

from 8am to midnight, serving breakfast, lunch and 

dinner. No reservations are necessary - just drop in 

and Coral Reef will always have something fresh for 

you to eat and drink. It’s always great tasting and 

equally great value. 

79 

Coral Reef also hosts occasional parties and events, 

and offers a very convenient take-out and catering 

service which is perfect if you are staying in one of 

Calibishie’s self-catering villas or apartments. 

A hidden treasure and a very pleasant surprise, you 

will always receive a warm welcome at Coral Reef. 

T: (767) 445 7432


Sisters Beach Bar, Restaurant & Lodge 

Picard 

Nestled on the beach in Picard, enjoying romantic 

sunsets and wonderful views of the Caribbean 

Sea, Sisters Beach Bar & Restaurant serves a fusion 

of Creole and international lunches and dinners, 

specialising in freshly caught seafood. The lionfish 

and the mussels are particular favourites, but 

everything is genuinely good here. Even the pasta 

is home-made. The beach bar and restaurant is 

open for lunch and dinner daily, Monday through 

Saturday. 

The six stone Sisters Lodges enjoy colourful tropical 

garden surroundings and are just a short walk 

to the sandy beach. Each has two double beds, 

kitchenette, living room, fans and insect screens. 

Guests are welcome to pick ripe fruits. A wonderfully 

relaxed ambiance, very comfortable, good-value 

accommodation, and excellent cuisine, Sisters Beach 

Bar, Restaurant & Lodge is perfect for independent 

travellers exploring the north. 

Hideaways OF TiBay Heights 

Tibay, Portsmouth 

T: (767) 445 5211 / 235 5454 

E: sistersbeachbarrestaurant@gmail.com 

FB: Sisters Beach Bar Restaurant & Lodge 

81 

Enjoy the spectacular sea view from the spacious 

verandas of our uniquely handcrafted, artisan 

cottages. Relax and reconnect with nature in our 

quiet family-owned retreat, surrounded by bird song 

and cool mountain breezes. Hideaways is a hillside 

sanctuary, conveniently located near the Syndicate 

Nature Trail, Morne Diablotin National Park and the 

natural attractions, restaurants and beaches of the 

Portsmouth and Picard area. 

Experience Hideaway’s top-notch personal service 

and dedicated island hospitality in two private and 

comfortable treehouse cottages, each with en suite 

bathroom and fully equipped kitchenette. Guests 

can also savour the flavours of the nature island with 

private dining under the pergola. 

We are happy to arrange fun and exciting island 

excursions with experienced guides. Your perfect 

getaway is our top priority. 

T: (767) 285 7480 

E: jkscheffey@gmail.com 

www.hideawaysdominica.com 

FB: Hideaways of Tibay Heights

Villa Passiflora & The Cottage at Villa Passiflora 

Calibishie 

THE VILLA 

Enjoying panoramic ocean vistas, Villa Passiflora is 

one of Dominica’s most exquisite accommodation 

options. Majestically situated between Pointe 

Baptiste and Hodges Bay, the villa combines 

elegance and comfort in exceptional fashion. The 

open design, in which indoors and outdoors merge, 

ensures cooling breezes and breathtaking views 

throughout. Refresh in our pool, enjoy relaxing on 

our shaded verandas, or prepare island meals in our 

spacious kitchen (or let our staff cook for you). With 

three large bedrooms, Villa Passiflora is the perfect 

spot for an unforgettable Caribbean vacation for 

your family or group of friends. 

82 

THE COTTAGE 

Nestled within coastal woodland and enjoying fine 

ocean views and a cooling breeze, our one bedroom 

cottage is simply beautiful. Spacious yet at the same 

time intimate, the cottage has an open plan lounge 

and kitchen, a large bathroom and verandas. With 

artistic use of local woods, louvre windows you 

can simply throw open, and a peaceful and secure 

environment, the self-catering cottage is a haven for 

singles, couples or parents travelling with one child. 

A five minute stroll down a well-used path brings 

you to one of the island’s finest beaches. Just twenty 

minutes from the airport, our villa and cottage are 

superb places to relax, unwind and enjoy the nature 

island to its fullest. 

USA T: (423) 718 1842 

DOM T: (767) 245 3468 

E: info@villapassiflora.com 

www.villapassiflora.com 

FB: Villa Passiflora Dominica 


Roots Jungle Retreat 

Pagua Hills, Northern Forest Reserve 

Roots Jungle Retreat offers a real jungle experience. 

Located deep within the Northern Forest Reserve, 

discover an amazing place of unspoiled rainforest 

surrounded by Dominica’s mountains. Stay in one 

of five comfortable cabins and enjoy the sounds 

of the night-time jungle from your private terrace. 

Ranked number one specialty lodge in the area by 

TripAdvisor, the hotel also features a natural pool, 

jungle trails and a restaurant where delicious meals 

are prepared by the owner herself. 

T: (767) 276 1473 / 295 6602 

E: rootsjungleretreat@gmail.com 

www.rootsjungleretreat.com 

FB: Roots Jungle Retreat 

Aywasi Kalinago Retreat 

Thundering Bay, Kalinago Territory 

Enjoy the sounds of nature in our luxurious eco 

cottages or garden ajoupas, reflecting the best of 

traditional Kalinago craftsmanship. Located in the 

heart of the world’s only Kalinago Reservation, 

the Aywasi Retreat beckons writers, hikers, artists, 

families, romantic couples, independent travellers 

and anthropologists in search of a truly authentic 

indigenous Caribbean experience. Feel the energy, 

activate your inner warrior and rejuvenate your spirit 

in our enchanting retreat. 

T: (767) 235 4455 

E: info@aywasiretreat.com 

www.aywasiretreat.com 

FB: Aywasi Kalinago Retreat 

83

One Breath, No Tank 

The philosophy and practice of freediving 

Words and topside photography Paul Crask 

Underwater photographs of Morgan Bourc’his Franck Seguin 

84 

Twenty years ago, Jeff Coulais travelled to Dominica 

and told himself that one day he would like to return 

and open a freediving or surf school here. 

Together with his partner, Audrey Palma, he has 

recently launched Freediving Dominica on the 

Cachacrou isthmus at Scotts Head. 


JOURNEY 

85 

JOURNEY | ONE BREATH, NO TANK

For Jeff, freediving is more than just a sport, it is also a holistic state of mind 

and body that embraces the spirit and ecology of land and water. 

86 

“The difference between teaching a few quick and 

easy techniques and coaching people to freedive 

in a holistic way, is like the difference between fast 

food and haute cuisine,” Jeff tells me. “Anyone can 

grill a burger”. 

We are sitting on the floor of the wooden beach 

hut that he built with the help of some old friends 

from France and some new ones from Dominica. 

Everything has its place. Fins, masks, snorkels, 

lines, buoyancy aids, rescue raft – all are stowed 

with fastidious attention to detail. Jeff seems a 

little agitated, and as we talk I sense that both he 

and Audrey are wound a little tight this morning. 

The reason is because world freediving champion 

Morgan Bourc’his is here this month to practice for 

the prestigious Vertical Blue event in the Bahamas, 

and also to teach some freediving classes. It’s a 

big deal for the couple and they want everything 

to go without a hitch. Creating their new venture, 

Freediving Dominica, has been testing. 

Jeff Coulais grew up in France and got into the 

sport of freediving as a teenager. Always at home 

in water, he was an accomplished swimmer and a 

frequent winner of competitions. Looking for another 

challenge, he became inspired by the philosophy 

and achievements of Jacques Mayol who, in 1976, 

was the first known freediver to descend to 100 

metres. Mayol had a love for the ocean (his life was 

the inspiration for the 1988 Luc Besson film, The Big 

Blue) and his diving philosophy was for him to reach 

a state of mind based on relaxation and yoga with 

which he could then achieve apnea – the suspension 

of breathing. Mayol also had an attachment to 

dolphins, and his book The Dolphin Within Man 

discusses how humans, who evolved in water, might 

reawaken dormant mental and physical faculties to 

rediscover the kind of relationship with the ocean 

that a dolphin enjoys. 

The Big Blue inspired others too, generating a burst 

of interest in freediving. In 1992, the International 

Association for the Development of Apnea (AIDA) 

was formed to bring freedivers together, to exchange 

ideas and devise safety guidelines, and to create 

an organisation that could oversee standards, 

competitions and record attempts. Three years later 

in 1995, after being on the board of AIDA since its 

formation, Jeff opened his own school in Montpelier 

on the south coast of France. Océanide was one of 

the first freediving institutions in the world. 

A pioneer of modern freediving, Jeff wanted to teach 

according to his values and experiences, drawing 

directly from what he had learned and discovered 

personally, as well as from adopting the holistic 

approach of Mayol, including the philosophy and 

practice of yoga. Looking back, Jeff says that he was 

before his time. Although he trained several world 

champions, he believes most people were not ready 

to learn properly in those days – they just wanted 

to master and take away the bare essentials, to 

get into the water and dive deep and fast. That still 

happens nowadays with some freediving teachers 

and their students, but Jeff feels that more people 

are conscious of the blue planet and ready to make 

the time and effort to learn and absorb the sport in 

its physical and spiritual entirety. 

In 1997 Jeff became the world record holder for the 

dynamic pool discipline when he swam underwater 

on one breath for 150 metres. That’s the length 

of three Olympic swimming pools, or six regular 

municipal pools. He has also made descents to 80 

metres. 

Audrey grew up in the water, sitting at the bottom 

of swimming pools for fun, and freediving with 

spear fishermen in New Caledonia. Travelling with 

her military family she also went to Tahiti where 

she spent time playing around underwater with 

elite troops. They were impressed by how long she 

could hold her breath and encouraged her to take 

freediving lessons. After training in New Caledonia, 

she eventually found herself in the south of France, 

where she met Jeff. 

Audrey has held her breath underwater for 6 minutes 

and 36 seconds, and she has almost reached 150 

metres in the dynamic pool discipline. 

“Imagine your life is like a music score,” says 

Audrey, standing up to draw on the classroom 

whiteboard. “These notes are the rhythm of your life, 

your breathing moments, and this here,” she draws 


JOURNEY | ONE BREATH, NO TANK 

87

88 


89

The pause of apnea 

gives you a moment of silence, to focus on life and forget everything else 

90 

a musical break, “this is where you pause. This is 

apnea. And then the music continues. Your breathing 

continues. Your life continues. But it is different now. 

You have discovered more about yourself.” 

“The pause of apnea gives you a moment of silence, 

to focus on life and forget everything else,” continues 

Jeff. “And in the water, where we originate as human 

beings, in weightless suspension of nothing but blue, 

there are no modern world distractions to pollute 

your mind or upset your body. You are in a different 

dimension, a different medium, a new world. And 

when you breathe again, you feel better. Your spirit 

is reborn.” 

“And remember, the word spirit comes from the Latin 

spiritus, which means breath,” says Audrey. “And it 

is your breath that defines you as a living being.” 

“But you have to learn how to breathe before you 

can learn how not to breathe,” says Jeff. “Being 

conscious of your breathing is also being conscious 

of living, of your life.” 

We are politely interrupted by several young children 

from the village asking to borrow swimming masks. 

It happens daily, and Audrey and Jeff give them out 

freely. It is one example of several where they have 

made successful inroads in their efforts to integrate 

with the local community. 

“I think the most important thing now is education,” 

says Jeff. “If these children grow up with a good 

experience of playing in the water that they would 

not have had without these masks, then that’s a 

positive thing. As they grow older, perhaps they will 

become more conscious of the environment, of the 

blue planet. Maybe they will decide to get a job in 

conservation, marine ecology or watersports. Maybe 

they will become world champion freedivers.” 

Audrey and Jeff have also been doing some pro 

bono work with marine reserve junior wardens and 

fishermen of Soufriere and Scotts Head, teaching 

them first aid, lifesaving and rescue techniques. 

“I think we have been more accepted into the 

community because of the efforts we readily make,” 

says Audrey. “In fact the fishermen sometimes come 

and ask if we can go and help them to find fish pots 

that have detached from their lines and become lost. 

And one day Jeff was a local hero when he freed up 

a seine net so they didn’t lose their big catch of fish. 

It was nice that they came to ask us for help. It takes 

time and effort to build up that sort of trust.” 

Most of the interest in freediving so far has been 

from travellers to the island and not from Dominicans 

themselves, but Jeff thinks patience and education 

provide the solution. 

“We are just beginning here and we know we can’t 

change the world overnight. Perhaps it is something 

for the next generation of Dominicans. If we can get 

the kids to love and enjoy their ocean then maybe 

they will reconnect somehow and want to do more. 

The water will be here. We will be here. If we are 

patient and we keep trying I believe it will happen.” 

I return a few days later. World champion, Morgan 

Bourc’his, will complete his freediving course with a 

demonstration swim down to 80 metres. He will do 

this on a single breath, and without fins to propel 

him. His personal best for a swimming dive like this 

is over 90 metres, but it is the start of the freediving 

season and he is just warming up for the big events 

such as Vertical Blue in the Bahamas and the World 

Championships in Roatan later in the year. Morgan 

is the only one who seems relaxed and is smiling this 

morning. He briefs his students on his dive plan with 

brevity while they listen and look on in serious and 


JOURNEY | ONE BREATH, NO TANK 

91

concerned silence. Being relaxed is part of Morgan’s 

preparation for a dive like this. It helps him both 

mentally and physically. He tells me that when he is 

completely relaxed before a dive his body doesn’t 

feel the pressure at depth. 

Staff and students accompany Morgan out into 

Soufriere Bay where an 80 metre weighted line 

is lowered from a safety raft. His swimming and 

equalisation techniques complement both his trim 

physique and his mental strength. They set him apart. 

It takes him around 90 seconds to swim down to the 

weight and another 90 seconds to swim back to the 

surface, successfully completing his 80 metre dive. 

Back on the beach he tells me that sunlight 

penetrated the depths so that it was not dark down 

there at all. It was deep blue, and the visibility was 

clear enough for him to be able to see the sandy, 

lifeless bottom of the bay. 

“I pause there for a few seconds to enjoy the moment 

before I swim back up,” he says, still smiling. “It is 

an incredible feeling being down there all alone, 

knowing that I am living on just one breath, and that 

for my life to continue I have to swim 80 metres all 

the way back to the surface.” 

92 

I ask him how freediving in Soufriere Bay compares 

with other places in the world and he tells me that 

having such deep water close to the shore, very little 

surface chop and current, and beautiful scenery all 

around, it is a perfect location for the sport. 

Audrey and Jeff are relieved that everything has 

gone to plan and their smiles have returned. After 

today they will be closing up the school until the 

beginning of the new season so that they can go 

back to the south of France to manage Océanide 

during the summer. Their ultimate ambition is to move 

here, and I feel they have made a very good start. 

But for now they are taking a short pause before the 

rhythm of freediving and their new life in Dominica 

continues. 

Freediving Dominica offers freediving, rescue, 

lifesaving and yoga training as well as snorkelling 

equipment and paddleboard rental. For more 

information go to www.freedivingdominica.com 

For information on Morgan Bourc’his go to 

www.morganbourchis.com 

Award-winning Franck Seguin is one of the 

world’s great sports photographers and works for 

L’Equipe in France. 


93

SUSTAINABLE journeys 

Travelling to work AND Working to travel 


Volunteering abroad is both an economical and adventurous 

way to travel. And now it is catching on here. I met up with some 

of these independent travellers as well as the people hosting 

them and learned that alternative travel goes hand-in-hand with 

alternative living in a country that is ideal for creative thinkers 

and free spirits. I also discovered that this model of exchange, 

development and sustainability extends beyond travel, and is 

a framework for learning and living that could just as easily be 

adopted by open-minded and progressive nature-islanders. 

94 

EDEN HEIGHTS 


SIAN 

95

SARAH 

96 


Sarah is from Switzerland. She is twenty years old 

and has been travelling independently for two 

years. Her aim is to make it all the way around the 

world without money. She hitchhiked across Europe 

and, as a practicing freeganist, engages in urban 

and wild foraging for food. She traded working as 

a nanny for an Atlantic sailboat crossing and now 

does the same in exchange for vegan meals and 

basic accommodation in Dominica. By the time she 

leaves for her next destination, she hopes to have 

hiked the whole of the Waitukubuli National Trail 

and explored much of the island. 

“Travelling in this way makes me strong in both body 

and spirit,” she says. “I enjoy the wild and I love new 

adventures. It is also a great way for me to build on 

my experience of alternative ways of living.” 

Lærki is from Denmark. The curriculum of the organic 

farming school where she studies requires 20% 

classroom time and 80% practical experience. She 

spent eight months in South America, some of it at 

a permaculture forum in Ecuador, some of it living 

with a tribe in Peru where she was enthralled by 

the relationship of the people with the plants in 

their environment, and how everyone lived as a 

connected community where helping each other 

was an intrinsic part of the culture. She travelled to 

Tanzania and worked on a number of local farms 

that grew coffee and bananas before spending two 

months living with a tribe where she learned Swahili 

and traditional dance. She is in Dominica to learn 

about medicinal plants. But also to play basketball. 

“I love basketball. I brought my ball with me and I 

go and challenge the tough ghetto boys in Roseau,” 

she grins. “I usually beat them. They even asked me 

if I would coach them. But I like to talk with them. It’s 

important to engage with everyone when you travel, 

and standing up to macho men is a good learning 

experience for me.” 

Sarah and Lærki are independent travellers who 

offer their work skills and experience in exchange 

for bed and board. Hosting them in Dominica is 

Sian, owner of EDEN HEIGHTS, a fledgling ‘family 

tree, homesteading and permaculture research and 

development institute’ near Castle Bruce. 

Sian quit an office job in England, hitchhiked across 

Europe and then sailed on a steel hull Chinese Junk 

across the Atlantic from Portugal to Cuba. From there 

LÆRKI 

JOURNEY | SUSTAINABLE JOURNEYS

she travelled to Colombia, Curacao and St Martin, 

before hitching another sailboat ride to Dominica. 

She worked for the Dominica Youth Business Trust 

for a couple of years before purchasing some land 

and beginning an alternative lifestyle that embraces 

community living, homesteading, and permaculture. 

“We are experimenting with different technologies 

and approaches for growing food, creating energy 

and recycling waste so that we can be as selfsufficient 

as possible,” she explains. “Some of our 

recycled materials can even be used to feed a 3D 

printer so that we can replace things that break.” 

Eden Heights is a 2.8 acre tract of sloping land that 

is bounded by a river and enjoys unrestricted views 

of St David’s Bay. Sian rents out wooden cabins to 

budget travellers but her main interest is inviting 

people with work skills that will help to develop her 

vision in exchange for offering them a place to sleep, 

three meals a day, and the flexibility to take time off 

to explore and enjoy the island. 

98 

Papillon grew up in Paris, Martinique and the 

US, and was a hip-hop artist before he trained in 

California to become a permaculture specialist. He 

came to Dominica as a traveller and then returned to 

be a part of the Eden Heights community. His skills 

and experience, combined with an innate love for 

the natural environment and indigenous bushcrafts, 

have helped Sian to develop her vision. Fatou is 

Papillon’s wife. She is from Madagascar and is a 

yoga teacher. They have two children and it is their 

aim to raise them in a natural environment where 

they can learn useful life skills such as how to grow 

food and build things, and how to love and help 

others. 

Sian is extremely keen on sharing her Eden Heights 

vision, experience and knowledge with the local 

community. Her ambition is to create and develop 

an innovative enterprise called The Family Tree. 

“I want to build a community here, but I also want 

to reach out to the extended Dominica community, 

to show them what we are trying to do, and how 

looking at and tackling challenges in different ways 

can be rewarding and practical. It is my hope to 

share permaculture practices in particular. I want 

to be able to say ‘hey, come look at what we’re 

doing. We’re growing all these things and we’re not 

working as hard as you.’ Imagine that. Breaking with 

the traditional way of doing things and embracing 

something new like permaculture could be hugely 

beneficial to Dominica. We are not building 

something that is just for the tourism sector. Our aim 

is to focus first and foremost on the local community, 

to reach out to anyone with an open mind and a 


willingness to participate and share knowledge, 

skills and experience.” 

BEYOND VITALITY is an innovative nature camp in the 

Fond Melle area, not far from Eden Heights. Owners 

and managers Sara and Stephan rent out cabins 

for most of the year, but they also offer volunteer 

programmes for young working travellers. Sara is a 

holistic food nutritionist and fitness instructor and so 

their programmes often have food and exercise as 

core components. Although they may specify some 

of the skills they would like their volunteers to have, 

many are gap year or college students who are 

away from familiar surroundings for the first time. 

When I visit, Stephan is waist deep in wild bush with 

a chainsaw. He and a couple of volunteers are in the 

process of building a fenced compound for Beyond 

Vitality’s new goats. 

One volunteer, Jana, has travelled from Switzerland. 

She is on a gap year and will return to pick up studies 

in medicine. It is her first time in the Caribbean. 

“When I first arrived here, I learned how to open 

coconuts,” she says. “Then the other day we were at 

the beach feeling thirsty so I put this new knowledge 

to good use. I like the experience of learning to 

feed myself from what is growing around. Making 

calabash bowls was also great fun.” 

Courtney is a psychology student from Vermont who 

loved being in the wilderness so much she has even 

built her own miniature moveable home from wood 

and a salvaged recreational vehicle. 

“I like to travel and explore, but I also enjoy giving 

back to others. It’s the reason why I study psychology 

and why I like to engage in volunteer programmes. 

It’s also a great opportunity to learn while exploring 

a beautiful new place like Dominica.” 

In addition to benefitting from the mutual exchange 

of skills and labour for travel and experience, Sara 

says that the volunteer programmes and internships 

that are hosted by Beyond Vitality also aim to get the 

volunteers to challenge themselves to do things they 

wouldn’t do normally, in an environment that is very 

different from their home. 

“Dominica provides an opportunity for our volunteers 

to fully immerse themselves in nature, to learn about 

nutrition and wellness, to practice natural movement 

and to break away from doing too much sitting, by 

climbing, hiking, running, chopping and throwing. 

Hiking in particular introduces a certain degree of 

99 


hormesis - exposing the body to a bit of stress to 

ultimately make it stronger.” 

Dawn is the owner and manager of D-SMART FARM 

AND ECOBALANCE CAMPGROUND in the hamlet of 

Corona near Pont Casse. 

She was trained in permaculture design in Trinidad 

and she practices sustainable living and organic 

farming. Her whole family is very involved in the 

enterprise, trying to make use of natural resources as 

much as possible. As well as engaging in recycling 

and producing composting teas from plants and fish 

waste, water is brought to the farm from a nearby 

river using an impressive home-made ram pump. But 

the most important part of this way of living for Dawn 

has been the engagement of young Dominicans. 

School children are often brought to the farm and 

campground on outings and special programmes 

where Dawn attempts to destigmatise agriculture 

and living off the land by demonstrating how fun, 

interesting and important is it to be able to care for 

the earth as well as to know how to live from it. 

“Students really love coming here,” she beams. 

“There is a real vibe of fun and learning. Once when 

they were digging for potatoes it was as if they were 

digging for gold. The response from local schools 

has been amazing. They have even designed a 

rabbit mascot for the farm.” 

College students of agriculture also come to the farm 

as part of their internships. 

“For us, this is where the idea of work exchange 

came from,” she says. “No money was exchanged 

during those college internships and it led me to take 

a look at volunteering programmes for travellers 

from overseas. But we also target youth groups here 

and it has become very popular. Once people have 

experienced camping in the forest and working the 

land, many get hooked on it. I have had Dominicans 

come to stay here in the campground in exchange 

for a bit of painting, plumbing and carpentry.” 

Global travellers have also helped Dawn develop 

her farm and campground. Most tend to be budget 

travellers looking for a different experience. Some 

bring specific skills such as farming, carpentry, or 

other aspects of permaculture. She has even had 

lumberjacks stay and help with repairs and cabin 

enhancements. 

“Next on my list is solar energy for the house and a 

tree house for the campground,” she smiles. 

100 

DAWN 


Permaculture 

Permaculture is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally 

productive systems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of 

natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of the landscape 

with people providing their food, energy, shelter and other material 

and non-material needs in a sustainable way. 

Freeganism 

Freeganism is a lifestyle philosophy focused on adopting alternative 

means to satisfy needs in order to minimise dependence on what is 

termed the “conventional economy.” To satisfy their needs, freegans 

typically scavenge for discarded items, barter or create their own 

goods. Common activities include dumpster diving for food and goods, 

hitchhiking for transportation and squatting or camping for housing. 

Homesteading 

Homesteading is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency often characterised by 

small scale subsistence farming, home preservation of foodstuffs, 

small scale production of textiles, clothing, agri-products and craftwork 

for household use or sale. 

Volunteer PROGRAMMES 

Volunteering abroad is a great way for travellers to be able to explore 

the world while at the same time giving a little back to the places they 

visit, especially communities and environments in need of both skilled 

and unskilled workers. By immersing yourself in the local community 

where your volunteer abroad programme is located, you experience 

a world on a level that is not possible when just travelling as a tourist. 

Volunteers usually exchange skills and labour for accommodation, 

meals, and some free time to explore. 

101 

HoRMESIS 

Hormesis is a biological phenomenon whereby a healthy beneficial 

effect results from exposure to low doses of an agent that is otherwise 

unhealthy when given at extremely high doses. 

RAM PUMP 

A ram pump needs no external source of power. It is driven by the 

force of moving water and has only two moving parts. It uses the 

momentum of a large amount of moving water to pump a relatively 

small amount of water uphill. If you can pump the water to a reservoir 

tank above your home, then gravity will do the rest. 

WWOOFING AND MORE 

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms 

www.wwoof.net 

www.wwoofinternational.org 

www.workaway.info 

www.helpx.net 

www.worldpackers.com 

www.helpstay.com 

CONNECT 

EDEN HEIGHTS: www.thefamilytree.life; FB Eden Heights Dominica 

BEYOND VITALITY: www.beyondvitality.com; FB beyondvitality 

D-SMART FARM: FB D-SmartFarm 


A WALK TO THE SEA 

HIKING from LAUDAT TO CASTLE BRUCE 


102 

It was a bright and fresh morning in April when I began my walk to the sea. My 

plan was to follow Wai’tukubuli National Trail segments four and five from the 

high mountain village of Laudat to the Atlantic Ocean at Castle Bruce. 

The Laudat region is where hikers can find a number of trailheads including the 

Boiling Lake, the Freshwater Lake, Chemin L’Etang, Boeri Lake and Middleham 

Falls. My route would take me past the latter before turning north through 

several miles of rainforest wilderness and emerging at Pont Casse. From there 

I would head east through wet forest along a former Kalinago and Maroon 

trace, passing the Emerald Pool, crossing rivers, and cutting through banana 

plantations before reaching the sea. 

The track to the Middleham Falls from Laudat is well beaten. It is a popular 

low-difficulty half-day hike for both independent travellers and adventurous 

cruise ship tourists. It begins with a small river crossing and then a hill climb, 

occasionally steep, usually wet, and a good introduction to first-time Dominica 

hiking. As I was early, it was just me and the birds. 

At the top of the climb is a plateau where the trail meanders through rainforest 

until it reaches a junction. To the left is the short but steep downhill trail to 

the waterfall, straight ahead is the track to Cochrane, and to the right is the 

continuation of Wai’tukubuli National Trail segment four to Sylvania and Pont 

Casse. I decided on a short diversion to the Middleham Falls before continuing 

my journey east. 


MIDDLEHAM FALLS 

103 

JOURNEY | A WALK TO THE SEA

104 


JOURNEY | A WALK TO THE SEA 

105

106 

The Middleham Falls changes with the weather. 

In periods of heavy rain it is a monster, thundering 

down into the deep pool with fierce volumes of 

water that make it almost inaccessible. Today it was 

much more subdued; sleepy and beautiful in the mist 

and shade of cliff and rainforest vegetation before 

the sun had climbed high enough to illuminate it. 

Back at the junction I set off on the track to Sylvania 

and Pont Casse. This route was here before it 

became a National Trail segment, regularly used 

by travellers of all kinds, from Kalinago, to Maroons 

(runaway enslaved Africans), to hunters and traders. 

It is one of the loveliest rainforest tracks on the island 

and I never tire of it. Poor drainage in low-lying 

areas make it occasionally swampy but the dense 

forest and sparkling rivers transport you to another 

time. This is how the world looked before people, 

cars and concrete; it is breathtaking and precious. 

The trail undulates but climbs gently to a ridge, 

crossing several rivers and streams en route. I hear 

parrots squawking - probably jacos - and the 

lonesome song of the rufous-throated solitaire, 

known in these parts as the mountain whistler, a 

constant companion to high forest walkers. 

Huge gommier, chatanier, balata, bois diables 

and other magnificent trees fill my field of vision, 

beneath them, dense undergrowth, saplings fighting 

for light and space, epiphyte species hanging from 

trunks and branches like emerald jewellery, vines 

at full stretch like long slender tongues, lapping 

up the wetness of the mud and mulch, the natural 

compost that is broken down by hordes of insects 

and invertebrates, the food of the forest, along with 

rain which now begins to fall. 

I walk on, descending to reach another junction. 

To the left, a short track to Sylvania that was once 

an estate road. To the right, the trail climbs up and 

then down a steep ridge and river gorge that stand 

between me and Pont Casse. 

Hiking Dominica is all about being able to deal with 

and read the terrain, especially if the way ahead is 

unclear as it can be in this area. Steep ridge climbs 

are often tricky to follow as fallen leaves, branches 

and erosion from heavy rains can obscure the trail so, 

even with prior experience of this route, I regularly 

pause to look ahead and behind, to gather breath 

and strength, and to make sure I am still on track. 

Over the other side of the rocky ridge, the decent 

is unforgiving and poorly placed ropes do little to 

help. But the gorge and bridge are now in sight and 

I know that Pont Casse is almost within reach. 

It is mid afternoon when I reach the end of segment 

four and I decide to push on for a couple more hours 

into segment five before thinking about where to 

spend the night. The track from Pont Casse past the 

National Trail office is flat and extremely wet. Fallen 

trees cross the trail making progress feel rather more 

like steeplechasing than hiking and the ground 

is often so soupy I am in danger of losing a shoe. 

Sometimes both of them. 

The trail is now heading eastwards and the shadows 

are lengthening as the sun, now behind me, begins 

to sink. At what I believe to be the Laurent River, a 

tributary of the Warner and then finally the Layou 

River, I decide to make camp for the night. I carry a 

Hennessy Hammock, not a tent. The problem with 

tents is that you need fairly flat and even ground, 

also not too wet. Such a thing is not easy to locate in 

Dominica; almost as hard to find as a hikers’ lodge. 

A modern hammock such as mine keeps me off the 

ground in the forest, it has mosquito netting and a 

rain tarp to keep me dry when the inevitable night 

rains begin to fall. It takes no more than ten minutes 

to set up and all I need are two trees. When it is 

done, I strip out of my wet clothes and bathe in the 

river as the day begins to fade away. I put on my dry 

set of clothes and slip into the hammock. Darkness 

falls. 

The forest is loud at night and if you concentrate you 

can pick out the individual calls and songs of frogs, 

crickets and other nocturnal creatures. Squadrons of 

fireflies dance around the undergrowth and I hear 

the wing flutter of bats overhead. I imagine the 

whole forest moving, teeming with life obscured by 

night. There is little else for me to do but watch and 

listen as I lie there, tempering my imagination, and 

waiting for sleep to come. 

At the crack of dawn I break camp and am quickly 

back on the trail. It is not long before I reach the 

Emerald Pool. Fortunately the cruise ship season has 

passed and the only people here are local children 

enjoying what is, for a while at least, all theirs. The 

Emerald Pool is one of several accessible natural 

sights that is often viewed as a place for tourists 

rather than something that is first and foremost for 

Dominicans. Seeing local kids splashing around is 

heartwarming. 

Beyond the Emerald Pool, the trail meets the road 

before heading steeply down to the junction of 

the L’Or and Belle Fille rivers. The Belle Fille is an 

extension of the Fond Figue which begins life on 

the slopes of Morne Negres Marrons. The Fond 

Figue, like the River Blanc in the Roseau Valley, has 

stretches of volcanic activity in the form of fumaroles. 


EMERALD POOL 

107

Across the L’Or bridge, the trail rises sharply and is 

soon high above the Belle Fille River. A narrow track 

around a rock face has either eroded or simply fallen 

away, the mud is sodden and the path no more than 

a foot wide. I edge my way gingerly along this 

disappearing ledge until it finally broadens and 

descends to a wider path running alongside the 

river. 

This is a pleasant riverside walk. The sun is up but the 

river is keeping the air cool, making it comfortable. 

The trail moves away from the bank for a while and 

into wet forest. The path becomes waterlogged and 

my feet sink with loud squelches. 

Back at the river again, the track ends at what 

remains of a suspension bridge that spanned the 

Belle Fille before flash flooding during the passing 

of tropical storm Erika in 2015 washed it away. 

Although broad, for the most part the river is shallow 

and wading across is thankfully uneventful. 

A short walk along the perimeter of domestic 

gardens and farmland brings me back up to the 

main road again. The combination of no cover and 

tarmac makes the journey hot and I curse at the 

lengthy road sections hikers are forced along on this 

segment of the trail. After a couple of curves, I come 

to the ‘Castle Bruce stretch’, one of the straightest 

sections of road on the island. Nice for cars, not so 

much for walkers. 

The final leg of this walk takes me off the road and 

into bush. Now rather overgrown wheel tracks, 

this route used to be the main road to the coast. It 

passes through what were once thriving banana 

and plantain farms but which are now mostly 

abandoned to tangles of weeds, vines and grasses, 

all expanding their empire and gradually erasing 

any trace of agricultural activity save for a few halfderelict 

buildings and packing sheds. A few tethered 

goats and passionfruit vines are the only evidence 

that anyone still comes here. 

With the smell and sound of the Atlantic Ocean now 

noticeable in the still mid-day air, I feel the end of 

my journey is imminent. Pushing my way through tall 

grass, where the trail has all but disappeared, I cross 

a couple of narrow streams and emerge at a paved 

road - the east coast route from Castle Bruce down 

to Petite Soufriere. In front of me is the ocean. 

I stroll along the flotsam and jetsam strewn beach 

of St David’s Bay to the mouth of the Belle Fille River 

where a cool and welcoming brackish water lagoon 

provides the perfect end to my trans-island walk. 

108 


JOURNEY | A WALK TO THE SEA 

109

LOVE NATURE 

110 

ecotherapy, rewilding, forest bathing 

www.liveyournature.com 


111

112 


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Dominica Traveller volume 3

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