Dominica - Soufriere-Scott’s Head Marine Reserve

The Soufriere-Scott’s Head Marine Reserve (SSMR) is located on the south-western tip of the island of Dominica. The entire Reserve encompasses the villages of Scott’s Head and Soufriere up to Anse bateau, near the village of Pointe Michel. It is the most picturesque bay on the island, both below and above the water. The area is dominated by the Scott’s Head or Cashacrou Peninsula – separating the calmer Caribbean Sea from the wilder Atlantic Ocean. During the island’s turbulent past the headland was home to English and French soldiers depending on the period of English or French occupation. Warning cannon shots were fired when the enemy fleets approached from the south where the island of Martinique is located. There is still an old gun emplacement there with a commanding view across the bay to Roseau – the capital city of Dominica, and across the channel to Martinique. The Bay is an extinct volcanic crater plummeting to indeterminate depths as a lava chute. There are many Carib or Kalinago (Dominica’s indigenous people) myths and legends associated with the area adding to its mystery and grandeur.