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Dominica's Hot Water Dozens of sulphur springs, bubbling pots and the famous Boiling Lake - wherever you are on the island, there's never a bit of hot water or volcanic activity far away! You may even catch the smell of sulphur in the wind... | Wotten Waven | Champagne | White River | | Layou River | Soufriere | Morne Aux Diables
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Volcano World says of
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Boiling Lake
The Boiling Lake is located 5 miles (8km) east of Roseau in the heart of Morne Trois Pitons National Park. The first recorded sighting of the Lake was in 1870 by Mr. Watt and Dr. Nicholls, two Englishmen working in Dominica at that time. In 1875, Mr. H. Prestoe, a government botanist, and Dr. Nicholls were commissioned to investigate this natural phenomenon. They measured the water temperature and found it to range from 180 to 197 degrees Fahrenheit (82 - 91.5 Celsius) along the edges, but could not measure the temperature at the centre where the Lake is actively boiling. They recorded the depth to be greater than 195ft (59m). A later report indicated that apparently the water level of the lake dropped and a geyser developed in the lake's centre. The geyser spewed water and mud to 60ft (18m) and higher, building a pumice cone at its base and filling the bottom of the lake. A photograph taken in 1895 when the Boiling Lake was 'dry' showed the water level 30-50 feet below the water line. In April 1988, the lake stopped boiling. intermittently, and the level dropped by 29 feet. It has since returned to its normal conditions. Today the Lake appears like a cauldron of bubbling greyish-blue water that is usually enveloped in a cloud of vapour. The lake is approximately 200ft (63m) across and its present depth is unknown. The side of the lake are a mixture of clay, pumice and small stones. It is believed that the Lake is actually a flooded fumarole, a crack through which gases escape from the molten lava below, rather than a volcanic crater. The natural basin of the Boiling Lake collects the rainfall from the surrounding hills and from two small streams which empty into the lake. The water seeps through the porous bottom to the hot lava below where it is trapped and heated to boiling point.
The Lake is reached by a 2-4 hour walk from the village of Laudat. The Valley of Desolation is crossed en route to the Boiling Lake. What was once a lush forested area appears now to be devoid of life. The floor of the Valley is covered with mosses and lichens, and scattered around are grasses and the yellow and white flowered Bromeliad, Pitcairnia spicata var. sulpurea. The harsh environment of the Valley has limited the wildlife to lizards, cockroaches, stoneflies, mayflies and ants. Scattered throughout the purple-gren valley floor are brightly coloured hot springs. The greys, blues, blacks, greens, yellow, browns and oranges are the result of minerals from the water which have been deposited on the stream beds. Some of the rocks are also covered with yellow sulphur crystals. Hot boiling mud, mini-geysers and fumaroles are scattered in the Valley. The water from the Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation flows into Victoria Falls and River Blanc (White River) and enters the Atlantic Ocean near Delice. Unfortunately a large landslide in 1995 covered what was the best hot spot on the island - a part of the falls where hot water met the cold water of the falls. I understand there is still some hot water accessible. Nearby, Papillote has a small 'spa'. This one is underwater! Located about three miles south of Roseau, there is a large area just off the beach where vents allow bubbles of hot water into the sea. The spot is at the far end of a pebbly beach, about a mile south of the village of Pointe Michel. Notable in that the source of the river is the Boiling Lake itself, which gives the river its tint and name. It also has the spectacular Victoria Falls. The river reaches the coast near the south eastern village of Delices; the waterfall is accessible from the same road. Ask in the village for a guide. A few miles up the river from the coast, near a single-lane bridge, is a great spot where a hot spring meets the river. The bridge is a few hundred yards beyond a construction site for a new hotel.
This mini 'Valley of Desolation' is the source for a hot stream, around
which has been built a well-organised picnic spot, where you can
also bathe in the stream. A stone pool has been constructed and
filled with water from the hot stream. Changing and wash-rooms
are also on site. Site user fees
are applicable when visiting the Soufriere Hot Springs. How
to get there: As one comes into the village, take
the first left. The road leads to this spot - follow the signposts.
At the northern tip of the island is this mountain, another
dormant volcano, and in it's verdant crater there are more sulphuric
springs.
This can be reached from either side - Tan Tan, just north of
Portsmouth or Vielle Case on the east.
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