Diving Timor Leste (East Timor): Dili’s Other Dive Sites – Dili Rock

Dili Rock is located on the western outskirts of Dili, close to the memorial built to commemorate the visit to Timor Leste by Pope John Paul II in 1989.

There are actually two sites to dive at Dili Rock – the more popular eastern side of the rock with it’s easy shore entry,  and nice coral & marine life and the less popular western of the Rock.

There is plenty to see at both sites and it is possible to dive both sites on the same dive, although care is needed when going round the headland.

A large bommie on the eastern side, near the start of the coral area, has been nick-named “Piccadilly Circus” and is home to an abundant fish life.

I took the photograph of the Hairy Pink Squat Lobster on one of the large barrel sponges in that area…

Diving Timor Leste (East Timor): Dili Dive Sites – Pertamina Jetty

The Pertamina Jetty is as the name suggests a jetty for the Pertamina oil storage terminal in Dili and is described by the local dive community as a bit like the wreck dive you have when you don’t have a wreck…

Located near the center of town, the site is another easy shore dive entry but one  that involves a long swim to the end of the jetty, where most of the action is, as it’s a long jetty.

Often that underwater swim will be in limited visibility due to wave & current action and shipping. If you are diving independently, don’t forget to let the security people at the Pertamina Terminal know that you are diving the jetty in case they are bring a ship in.

If a ship is already at the jetty, plan to dive somewhere else as it cannot be dived until it leaves.

Visibility is usually at it’s best around September and October, at the end of the dry season and the end of the jetty which is in 10-12m of water is where the most interesting things to see usually are. Watch where you put your hands though as there a lot of scorpion and stone fish in amongst the pilings and general rubbish in that area.

Stonefish at the Pertamina jetty in Dili

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