Diving in East Timor

I love it here

2007-10-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

1 Diver, 1 Camera, 1 Day, 2 Dives

(with thanks to John Eloe)

New Tourism Directory

2007-10-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

Please check out the following site for excellent information about getting around and enjoying East Timor:

http://www.timortourismdirectory.com/index.html

Its Great Here (continued.....)

2007-10-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

Same Diver, Same Camera, Same Day, Same 2 Dives

(with thanks to John Eloe)

K41 - October 5th 2007

2007-10-05T04:54:00.001-07:00

Bob's Rock - October 4th 2007

2007-10-05T04:46:00.000-07:00

Bob's Rock - October 4th 2007

2007-10-05T04:35:00.001-07:00

K57 - October 3rd 2007

2007-10-05T04:31:00.001-07:00

K57 - October 3rd 2007

2007-10-05T04:25:00.000-07:00

K41 - October 2nd 2007

2007-10-05T04:12:00.000-07:00

A Lovely Picture

2007-07-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

A big 'Thankyou' to Anjleen Hannak for the lovely picture

Tide Tables - Double click to view

2007-05-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

Tide tables for Dili and Hera May 28th through June 3rd

Tide Tables - Double click to view

2007-05-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

Tide tables for Dili and Hera May 15th through May 21st

TREASURE HUNT!!!

2007-05-14T00:45:00.000-07:00

On May 21st 2007 FreeFlow diving is organising an
UNDERWATER TREASURE HUNT.
The venue will be Dili Rock east opposite the entrance to the f-FDTL base.
Fabulous prizes are on offer.
Assembly time will be 10.00am
Please see the attachment below and refer to the SITE MAP for Dili Rock.

click to enlarge

Currents

2007-05-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

The currents in East Timor can be treacherous. If you think you know the currents here you havn’t dived enough in the country. If someone tells you they know the currents, they havn’t dived enough. When you plan your diving it would be a good idea to check with one of the established dive operators in Dili on tide times. Two of the best are FreeFlow Diving and Dive Timor Lorasae. Their experienced staff should be able to tell you the best and worst times for getting wet, although it is not written in stone. In general about 1 hour before either high or low tide is optimum for gentle to no current. I have found the best visibility is on a low tide, especially during the wet season. Another tip is to watch the local spear fishermen. If they are in the water then generally it would be OK for a dive. If they are NOT in the water there is a good reason. I have also found that if, when you get in the water, there is a strong current, just swim back to shore and wait about a half hour for the current to die down. As I’ve said, the currents can be very very strong but in general they do not last for too long. It is also advisable to carry at least two SSD’s (surface signalling device), such as, but not limited to, a safety sausage, whistle, an old CD to reflect the sun, marker dye or Hammerhead air horn.
Of course, if you are boat diving the current issue is not so important. Just enjoy the underwater movie and wait for the skipper to pick you up! Of course, it is still important to carry a SSD.
For the less experienced diver I would recommend guided diving with one of the above operators and for the more experienced who have not yet dived here I would recommend a ‘Discover Local Scuba’ dive.

Tide Tables - Double click to view

2007-05-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

Tide tables for Dili and Hera May 10th through May 16th

Nudibranchs

2007-05-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

Chelidonura palida

Dermatobranchus ornatus

Spanish dancer (Hexabranchus sanguineus) egg case

Nembrotha rutilans

Halgerda sp.

Dive Log

2007-05-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

Location: Dili Rock, East
Date: 02 May 2007
Time in: 1930
Duration: 80mins
Max depth: 30metres
Tides: Low 1925, 0.6metres
Weather: Perfect, no wind
Sea: Calm
Visibility: Torch
Divers: Two – self/Kylie
Night Dive.
Swam out to the marker buoy and descended to where the coral meets the sand. First thing we saw was a nice big Queensland halibut resting in the sand. Just to the left of him/her was a BIG puffer fish having a nap. Carried on down to the bommy at 12metres and had a look round. Banded cleaner shrimp (Stenopus hispidus), resting surgeons, Hingebeak shrimp, a couple of nice Decorator crabs and a big Lionfish. Carried on west to the coral outcrop at 20metres. Wonderful. Two Flying gurnards, a sleeping Titan triggerfish, two Pleurobranchus grandis. And then…… two exquisite squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana), stayed with them for about 5minutes.

Pleurobranchus grandis - Dili Rock, East

Tide Tables - Double click to view

2007-05-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Tide tables for Dili and Hera May 3rd through May 9th 2007

Assorted Pictures

2007-04-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

Spearfisher - K57

Anemone - K41

Cowry - K41

Stars and Stripes Toadfish (Arothron hispidus) eye - K41

Diver - K57

Fish of East Timor

2007-04-29T23:19:00.000-07:00

Blue-ringed Angelfish (Pomacanthus annularis) - Com jetty

Harlequin ghost pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus) - Pertamina jetty

Bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) - Dirt Track

Ribbon eel (Rhinomuraena quaesita) - K41

Spine-cheek Anemonefish (Premnas biaculeatus) - Bob's Rock

Dive Log

2007-04-29T22:04:00.000-07:00

Location: Behau village AKA Rick's Rapture
Date: 29th April 2007
Time in: 1400
Duration: 74mins
Max Depth: 30 metres
Tides: High 1147 2metres – Low 1827 0.7metres
Weather: Sunny, some breeze
Sea: Calm, small wavelets
Visibility: 15metres +/-
Divers: Two – Self/Aki

A very nice dive. Swam out from the beached fishing boats until there was about 5metres underneath us. Descended over some healthy corals and headed north to the start of the wall. We then followed a ridge down to about 30metres looking for anything big. On the way down we spotted a Giant Barracuda, two nice Nudibranchs (Glossodoris sp) and a huge school of Neon fusiliers. We also found a Flying Gurnard (Dactyloptena orientalis), a very ugly fish when resting but when it is alarmed the pectoral fins come out looking like a Dresden china plate. Magnificent. We then headed east along the slope. A large Napoleon wrasse accompanied us along the way. Found some more Nudibranchs, including a very pretty little Flabalinna.

Flying gurnard (Dactyloptena orientalis) Behau village

Dive Log

2007-04-29T21:57:00.000-07:00

Location: K41
Date: 29th April 2007
Time in: 1030
Duration: 80 mins
Tides: High 1147 2metres – Low 1827 0.7metres
Max Depth: 30.5 metres
Weather: Sunny
Sea: Flat calm
Visibility: 20metres +/-
Divers: Two – self/Aki

We started the dive at the beginning of the wall. Fantastic vis and no current. We headed east along the wall and found one leaf scorpionfish, 3 Nembrotha lineolata nudibranchs and lots of fish!
Carried on down to the overhang at 25metres to look for sharks. Found one whitetip reef shark in a small cave then looked up and saw a large Napoleon wrasse shadowing us. Carried on along east and just hung out with all the fish. At 100bar we turned around and came back at around 12metres all the way. Absolutely wonderful. Lots of sunlight, lots of fish and no current. At the end of the dive found another Nudibranch (unidentified) that I’ll try to ID later. Thanks Aki, a great dive.

Nembrotha lineolata - K41

Bob's Rock - West

2007-04-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

Site Name: Bob’s Rock West AKA Behau Forest
Location: About 48km east of Dili on the coast road, Behau
Getting there: After driving through Behau village, with the white-walled ex resort, carry on up and over the cliffside road. Once you get to the bottom, sea-level, part of the road look on the left for a rock with ‘HB’ spray-painted in white. Turn off the road here and head down the track to the waters edge.
GPS Co-ords: TBA
Entry/Exit: Just east of the overhanging tree. Swim out about 30metres until you are over an area of coral rubble. Descend here.
Shade: Plenty
Diver Experience Level: Open Water and above

I think this is one of the most under-estimated sites in ET. Lots of different terrain, coral species and depths. On the entry there is a nice big stack of staghorn coral, full of Anthias, Basslets, Coral trout and Lionfish. Also at least 5 different species of clown fish including Spine-cheeked, tomato, pink, false and Clarks.
Just to the east of the staghorn, at about 12metres, is a big barrel sponge. This is a great place to look for critters. On or under the sponge itself look for leaf scorpionfish, ghost pipefish in the crinoids and banded pipefish under the sponge. About 1metre west of the sponge is a mushroom coral, host to 2 white pipefish.
On roughly the same line as the sponge but at 21metres is a solitary gorgonian fan. This is home to at least 4 Pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti). The area between the sponge and the fan is also a good hunting ground for different species of Nudibranchs.
Just west of the staghorn is a big sandy patch. Halfway across the patch is a very large colony of garden eels (Heteroconger hassi). These are the longest garden eels I have seen anywhere.
After the sand you come to more coral. A wall stops at about 10metres depth with a gentle slope to a bommy at 12metres. The base of the wall has numerous little overhangs where you may find a crocodilefish (or flathead) lying in ambush. The bommy is also good for critters eg: banded shrimp, leaf scorpionfish.
From the bommy I usually head down to about the 18metre mark and continue west. After a while you will come to a wonderful overhang at a depth of about 24metres which juts out into the open ocean. The overhang itself has a lot of life, including the biggest Spanish dancer (Hexabrancus sanguineus) I have ever seen at 67cm! Also it is a good place to hang and just look into the blue for passing pelagics. The wall carries on here for a good while but by now most divers are at about 100bar so its time to turnaround. Slowly ascend to around the 10/12metre mark and make your way back to the starting point via a wonderful coral wall. This is best dived at around midday with the overhead sun lighting the place up like a tropical garden.

Highlights: Pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti), white pipefish (Siokunichthys nigrolineatus), Garden eels (Heteroconger hassi) and Harlequin ghost pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus)

Pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti), Bob's Rock

Anyone Can Dive

2007-04-26T02:43:00.000-07:00

Timor Leste’s Youngest Scuba Divers
By Ann Turner

Nandini Hannak and Svein Klakeg (aged 8) have become Timor Leste’s youngest scuba divers. They have just finished the PADI “Bubblemaker” course for kids, whilst their elder siblings Anjleen Hannak and Ane Klakeg (aged 10) have completed the “Bubblemaker” course and are now well on the way to getting their certification as PADI Junior Open Water scuba divers.
Already veteran snorkellers, the Hannak girls decided that they wanted to join PADI Divemaster father, Jurgen and Advanced Diver mother, Elke, in the underwater fun. Mum and Dad duly delivered Anjleen and Nandini to FreeFlow Dive Centre’s Instructor, Marianne Woodward and within a day they were cruising along the bottom of the Hotel Esplanada’s swimming pool like old hands.

Recreational scuba diving has only been in existence since the 60’s and many people still think that it’s the stuff of James Bond movies, a sport only for very gung-ho, adventure sports types. But now that 8-year-olds are doing it, we’d better think again! I didn’t pluck up the courage until I was 40; once I saw my first coral reef, up close and personal, I regretted the non-diving decades that had passed by. To think that so much of our world is covered by oceans and that I could have lived my life without exploring the beauty of the reef and seeing for myself the amazing creatures that live on it. How I wish that I could have started as a child! I think of the things I could have seen and the experience I would have accumulated now that I’m a 50-year old diver. It’s never too late to start, though. An instructor friend of mine once taught a 76-year-old woman to dive!
PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) deserves the credit for opening up the dive experience to children. Their specially-designed courses for 8 year-olds and above are called “Bubblemakers”. Under the very close supervision of a PADI Instructor, the youngsters learn how to breathe and swim underwater according to PADI’s very stringent safety standards. Once “Bubblemakers” are confident underwater, they realise that they can get up to all kinds of fun beneath the water’s surface. Anjleen and Nandini enjoyed playing with the underwater torpedo – it glides through the water like a Frisbee. Young divers can stand on their heads, swim through hoops, or hover motionless in mid-water. “Bubblemakers” also get a personalised certificate with their underwater photo to hang on the wall. Anjleen, at the age of 10, is already old enough to start on the next step: the Junior Open Water certification, which allows kids to get out onto the reef with all the grown-ups (and the fish). She was very excited after her first dive in the sea: “There is so much to discover that you don’t know where to start!” she said afterwards. Nandini will have to wait two years to catch up with her sister but she’s already impressed with her first scuba dive in the swimming pool: “I feel like a fish, weightlessly floating in the sea…”, she said.
But there’s also a very strong educational reason to take the little ones underwater. They learn valuable lessons about underwater life and reef ecology. As the future custodians of the marine environment, the sooner children realise how wonderful and delicate it is, the sooner they can play an active role as ambassadors for reef conservation.
My own enthusiasm for marine life has been magnified through the eyes of these young divers. Anjleen and Nandini were so inspired by the beauty of the reefs in Timor Leste that they started painting pictures of underwater scenes. There is nothing childish about these works of art; each species pictured is correct in its anatomical details, its habitat and behaviour. These girls are already experts.
Instructor Marianne enjoyed the course as much as the kids: “Teaching kids to dive is a fantastic experience, they are so enthusiastic about everything they do and their excitement is infectious, especially when they see their first Nemo. Obviously being at the PADI youngest age for diving, extra attention and supervision is necessary, that’s why I teach kids on a one to one basis. But if their parents are divers they can come along for the fun. It’s something really special seeing your child take their first breath underwater”.
So now, the whole family can get out of Dili for a day’s diving and International schoolmates can play together underwater. No more boring Sundays!
Anyone aged from 8 to 80 can scuba dive, subject to the following conditions:
you must be able to swim (200mt. for PADI Open Water)
you must be in good health. You will be asked to fill in a confidential health questionnaire and may have to obtain a dive fitness certificate from a dive specialist doctor if you have particular medical conditions.

Find out more about dive courses on the PADI website: http://www.padi.com/

Ann Turner is co-owner of Timor Leste’s longest-established dive centre, FreeFlow, situated close to the Hotel Esplanada on the beach road. FreeFlow conducts regular dive excursions to beaches outside Dili, with BBQ or buffet lunches. Families and non-divers are welcome. Call 7234614 for further details. To book a dive course, call PADI Instructor Marianne Woodward on 7234615.

Marianne and Ane Klakeg in the pool

Picture curtesy Anjleen, PADI Junior Open Water

Dive Log

2007-04-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

Location: Bob’s Rock
Date: 23rd April 2007
Time: 2pm
Duration: 60mins
Tides: Low 0916 1.2metres – High 1703 2.0metres
Weather: Sunny, some cloud, slight breeze
Sea: Calmish, some waves
Visibility: 10/15metres +/-
Divers: Three. Self/Vanessa/Zach

We started the dive from the east side of the large overhanging tree (good shade) and descended over the impressive patch of staghorn coral about 30metres from shore. First stop was the large barrel sponge at 12metres. I love looking around here for weird and unusual critters and wasn’t disappointed today. Look out for a leaf scorpionfish on the sponge itself and white pipefish in the mushroom coral about 1metre east from the sponge. We then headed west at about 12metres until we came to the large sandy patch. A few peacock flounders in the sand but of course for the divers with me, who had never dived Bob’s before, the highlight was the very large field of garden eels. After checking them out for a while we carried on to the wall. All very nice with lots of the usual suspects. Oriental sweetlips, some large surgeons and a wonderful Harlequin ghostpipefish in a crinoid. A very peaceful and gentle dive with no current.

White pipefish (Siokunichthys nigrolineatus) Bob's Rock

Nudibranchs

2007-04-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

Phyllodesmium longicirum, K41

Glossodoris cinta, Bob's Rock

Glossodoris cruentus, K41

Gymnodoris cylonica, Pertamina jetty

Chromodoris leopardus, K41

Site Map

2007-04-25T00:55:00.000-07:00

Picture curtesey Jurgen Hannak, senior bubble-maker, age 41

Tide Tables - Double click to view

2007-04-25T00:16:00.000-07:00

Tide tables for Dili and Hera, April 25th through May 1st

Dive Log

2007-04-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

Location: K41
Date: 23rd April 2007
Time: 10am
Duration: 31minutes.
Tides: Low 0916 1.2metres. High 1703 2.0metres.
Weather: Sunny, some cloud. Light breeze.
Sea: Slight chop, otherwise calm.
Visibility: 15metres +/-
Divers: Three. Self/Vanessa/Zach.

We entered the water at the usual location, just in front of the shade tree, and descended onto the sand/rocks about 10metres west of the wall. Good visibility for the time of year considering the rain we had the previous day. In the first minute we found a nice little leaf scorpionfish swaying in the current at about 10metres. Carried on along the wall until we came to the ‘manger scene’ at about 18metres with lots of fish along the way. From the ‘manger’ we swam down about 15degrees east of north until we came to a sequence of small caves and overhangs where you can more often than not find a female white-tip reefy sheltering in the first cave. She wasn’t there! We carried on around the outcrop until we came to the small cave at 20metres and there she was, having a doze. After checking her out for a couple of minutes we came up and over the ridge to be hit by a very strong current which was trying to push us further east and up! We fought the current for about 5 minutes but eventually decided to abort the dive as it wasn’t fun anymore. The three of us surfaced together and then spent about 20minutes swimming back to the shore. It was a pity about the strong current as it had the potential to be a very good dive with lots of fish and good vis.

Leaf scorpionfish (Taenianotus triacanthus)

Chamber

2007-04-24T00:15:00.000-07:00

Remember, there is no recompression chamber in East Timor. The nearest are in Darwin and Bali and are expensive to get to and a long way away. Remember also we have no coast-guard. No one will come to save you. You are basically on your own. Plan your dives with this in mind and you should be OK.
Always dive within your limits. Let someone know where you are diving and an approximate time for your return. Always have a basic first aid kit in your vehicle. I also take a tyre inflator with me. This fixes to the low-pressure inflator hose on your reg. It will get you home in an emergency. Most tyre pressures are around the 30psi mark. 10 bar in your empty tank is equivalent to 150psi.

Nudibranchs

2007-03-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

Unidentified - K41

Unidentified - K41

Hypselodoris infucata - Pertamina Jetty

Hypsylodoris c f zephyra - Bob's Rock

Nembrotha purpolineolata - Dili Rock

K41 - Behau

2007-02-26T18:05:00.000-08:00

One of the most popular shore dives in East Timor.
As its name suggests K41 is 41 kilometres east of Dili. The nearest village is called Behau. Access to the site is via a dirt track on left of the road as you head east. It can be identified by a fallen, burnt gum tree. About a 50metre drive takes you down to a couple of trees which provide ample shade and a good place to throw a hammock!
Entry is right at the trees with a short 10metre swim out to the descent point. As you look east you can see the wall right next to you. Descend to approx 6metres and follow the wall around with it on you right shoulder. After approx 30metres you should be at around 18metres deep when you come to a nice bommy teeming with fish. All the usual candidates including Midnight snapper, oriental sweetlips, long-nosed butterfly fish, trumpet fish et al. Also keep a look out for crocodile fish waiting in ambush. From this point you can take 3 alternatives.
1. You can point due north and head down to approx 30metres where the bottom is fine sand with a good chance of seeing a couple of sleeping white-tip reef sharks.
2. You head diagonally down east to another set of 2 bommies at 25metres with some overhangs and quite often a good current. Here you have a fine chance of seeing resting turtles, sharks in the caves and heaps of fish just hanging in the current. To make sure you have taken the correct route to this point you should have passed a large purple gorgonian at 23metres.
3. Keep heading east at the same approximate depth (18 metres) to get a longer bottom time. Look out for good nudibranchs all the way. Depending on your air consumption, but generally, at about the 120bar mark you will come to a spot where a couple of currents meet and hundreds of pyramid butterfly fish congregate. Also at this point occasionally I have seen some large baitballs with their attendant predators. Barracuda, big-eye jacks, Giant trevalley and Yellowfin Tuna.