Dili · Timor-Leste · Wall · Sand slope
Bob's Rock
A field of garden eels on the sand at the end of a shallow wall dive.
Photo: Bahnfrend · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bob's Rock is a shore dive on the coast east of Dili, entered from a forest beach. A shallow wall runs down to 12 m and ends on a deep slope, with snappers, butterflyfish and sweetlips along the wall and a large sandy patch where garden eels feed near the entry.
Also known as Be'e Hau Forest.
Where it is and how deep
8.4767° S, 125.9092° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The entry is over rocks and can be difficult, particularly when a swell is running. Divers head north-north-east onto a shallow wall that runs down to 12 m and ends on a deep slope, then turn west along the reef at whatever depth suits the plan. Currents and visibility can be variable.
Snappers, butterflyfish and sweetlips cover the wall, while anemone shrimps and nudibranchs hide at its base and the cracks hold pipefish, scorpionfish and eels. Turtles, flying gurnards, batfish and lionfish also turn up. The dive ends back near the entry on a big sandy patch full of garden eels at about 7 m, where divers settle well back and stay still to watch them feed.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair |
Season follows Dili: The dry season runs from May to October and the rainy season from November to April; mid-September to November is the high season, when trip prices carry a surcharge.
Know before you go
- The rocky entry can be difficult when a swell is running.
- Currents and visibility can be variable.
Photos from Bob's Rock
Bahnfrend · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dive videos
Bob's Rock - Manatuto, East Timor · Wolfgang Nagele on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Bob's Rock?+
The shallow wall runs to 12 m and ends on a deep slope; the site is dived from about 5 m to 40 m.
Where are the garden eels at Bob's Rock?+
On a big sandy patch at about 7 m near the entry point, at the end of the dive.
Sources
- Diving in Timor-Leste — Wikivoyage
- Coast Dive Sites East – Bobs Rock — Dive Timor Lorosae
Photo credits
- Coastal road with a low sea wall above clear blue shallows and dry hills along the shore by Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Turquoise fringing reef along a dry, steep coastline with a few small boats offshore by Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Dili
Reef
A coral slope below the Jesus statue with a resident turtle.
A bommie at 16 to 25 m ringed by snappers, trevallies and batfish.
Coral to 15 m, then sand with barrel sponges, fans and whip corals.
A coral wall a few metres off a shaded beach, with grass beds that sometimes draw dugongs.
Sponge-covered pylons with schooling sweetlips, barracuda and batfish in the shade.
Seahorses, spider crabs and coconut octopus on a sandy slope close to Dili.
Similar dives elsewhere
Limestone and white sand, a wall to 35 m, rarely any current
Shallow muck over a coral wall that falls to 60 m
Mandarinfish at sunset on a wall that starts at 3 m
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Slope to a 40-50 m wall, finished on the reef top next door