As the newest country in Asia, Timor Leste has an amazing
natural beauty both above and below the water which is very much
unspoilt. Located in the eastern end of the archipelago making up
Indonesia and just north of Australia, the proud people of this island
nation endured a decades long struggle for independence which was
achieved in 2002.
Timor Leste is one of the six countries making up the Coral Triangle,
the global centre of marine biodiversity, which entices adventurous divers to explore its waters which have only just opened up to divers
in the past years. Trekking in the stunning mountains is also a draw
including up to Mount Ramelau to enjoy a sunrise from nearly 3,000
metres.
Timor Leste has easy access to some of the most recently discovered
and least explored diving in the region! Making up the southern section
of the Coral Triangle, Timor is home to a massive diversity of coral and
fish species. The best thing is that the fringing reef across the
northern coast is easily accessible from the shore often beginning only a
few meters from the water’s edge.
In addition to having the best shore diving in Southeast Asia, this
tiny country sits at the edge of two different continental plates, with
the Banda Sea to the north and the deep Ombai and Wetar Straits
separating Timor from Atauro Island. Migrating whales use this path for
several months of the year and this channel which extends down to over
3.5 kilometres deep also brings colder nutrient rich water via currents
that contribute to the health of the areas coral reefs. Diving in Timor
Leste gives you a chance to see everything from exciting Hammerhead
Sharks and endangered Dugongs to interesting critters like Frogfish,
Seahorses and Ghost Pipefish!
There are no hyperbaric chambers in Timor Leste.
Fish, Timor Leste, Credit
Marine Conservation
Due to no industrialisation or commercial fishing in Timor Leste the
reefs are exceptionally healthy. In 2012 a team of scientists conducted
the first ever extensive marine survey along the northern coast of
Timor-Leste and “found seven potentially new marine species and
extremely high concentrations of biodiversity with 734 fish species and
360 species of corals recorded. The survey also found that Timor-Leste’s
waters are at least 2-3 degrees Celsius cooler than neighboring areas
making its marine ecosystems more resilient to climate change impacts
and serving as a well-placed refuge for marine species in the Coral
Triangle threatened by rising sea temperatures.”
School of fish, Climate
May through November is the dry season and peak diving season in
Timor Leste while December to April can be wetter but there is excellent
diving to be had year round. Water temperature varies from 26-30
degrees C but can occasionally run into even cooler thermoclines.
Classy Polka Dots, 
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