by Linda Baudoin | Jun 13, 2020 | Beach, Nature, Sea, Travel Tips
Every year, from March to October, Leatherback, Green and Hawksbill sea turtles nest and hatch at Rosalie Bay. The endangered gentle giants can travel great distances, as far away as Canada, Europe and Africa, to Dominica to nest on our protected black sand beach.
To protect these creatures for future generations Dominica has founded the sea turtle conservation program. The program engages locals and guests in opportunities to help in the recovery of sea turtles on the island and throughout the Caribbean. Efforts include night patrol during nesting season, clean up on nesting beaches, education programs and data collection. Their trained guides tell you all about the turtles!
From witnessing a 1,000-pound Leatherback turtle crawling ashore to holding a hatchling that is smaller than a baby’s footprint, turtle season offers a vacation experience that is unforgettable and simply magical. We went to see the hatching this time…..
A magical moment is when the tiny hatchlings emerge from their nest for their initial journey to sea. Some nests hatch naturally, while others have a scheduled assisted release in the evening to increase their chances of survival. The odds are not in their favor –about 1,000 to one–as hungry predators and dehydration take their toll.
Rosalie Bay is about 1,5 hour drive from Hotel The Champs, but worth the stunning drive. This time there were as many as 32 small turtles finding their way to the ocean!
by Linda Baudoin | May 23, 2020 | Beach, Nature, Sea, Travel Tips
Batibou Beach is an expansive and secluded soft-sand beach in the North-East of the island. This beach is known as one of the best beaches of Dominica. It is about half an hour drive from Hotel The Champs on the way to Calibishie.
On arrival you can park along the road near the entrance path or you can attempt the drive down on a road filled with potholes if you have a 4×4. It is nice to take the leisurely walk down through the forest full of palm trees. If you are lucky you can spot hummingbirds here.
The majority of the walk is in the jungle until you find yourself in an open spot overlooking Batibou Beach and several cliffside villages that speckle the north coast. The view makes you want to move faster and go down to this piece of paradise. The water is turquoise with splashing waves onto the gold sand. The beach is bordered by tall palm trees and the surrounding jungle makes it even more serene. If you have completed the walk down to the beach, there are two security guys who collect a 13 EC ($5 US) per person fee. This is for crossing the private acces road to the and for security on the beach.
There is enough space on the beach to find yourself a nice spot in the sun to let the sun and salt soak into your skin until you want to take a swim. The Atlantic Ocean here is calm enough for swimming and a gently sloping sea bed means you can wade out a good distance.
On the beach there is a small beach shack where you can have a drink or order lunch. You can use this beach as a nice stop for you (half) day trip to the north, but you can easily spend more than a few hours here. Just bring your hammock (there are perfectly placed palm trees here) and a good book and let the scenery do the rest……
