Dili · Timor-Leste · Reef · Sand slope · Night
Christo Rei
A coral slope below the Jesus statue with a resident turtle.
Area photo: Bahnfrend · CC BY-SA 4.0
Christo Rei is a sloping reef below the Jesus statue in Area Branca, a few kilometres east of Dili, entered from the beach at high tide. Hard and soft corals cover the shallows to 12 to 13 m before a sandy slope with whip corals, and a resident turtle, spotted rays and moray eels share the reef with shrimps, crabs and nudibranchs.
Also known as Front Side of Christo Rei, Christ Rei.
Where it is and how deep
8.5231° S, 125.6081° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
After the short steps down to the beach, the entry is relatively easy at high tide; low tide can be difficult and is avoided when there is a swell. Divers head straight out to the west and north-west and down, then turn north and follow the coral slope. Hard and soft corals cover the bottom in the shallows to about 12 to 13 m, ending on a sandier slope with some large whip corals.
Shrimps, crabs and nudibranchs hide all along the shallow part, with reef fish around them. The reef has a resident turtle, spotted rays, moray eels, scorpionfish, lobsters, puffers, angelfish, butterflyfish, clownfish and lionfish, and a coral garden at the end of the dive. The site is also a night dive, when the coral colours show best.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Stingrays
- 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
- Lobster traps, fishing nets and other lines lie in the water.
- Low tide makes the entry difficult; avoid it when there is a swell.
Dive videos
Christo Rei Front - Dili, East Timor · Wolfgang Nagele on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Christo Rei dive site?+
The site runs from about 5 m to 40 m; coral covers the shallows to 12 to 13 m before a sandy slope.
When is the best tide to dive Christo Rei?+
High tide gives a relatively easy entry from the beach. Low tide can be difficult and is best avoided when there is a swell.
Sources
- Diving in Timor-Leste — Wikivoyage
- Local Dive Sites Near Dili – Front Side of Christo Rei — Dive Timor Lorosae
More dive sites in Dili
A field of garden eels on the sand at the end of a shallow wall dive.
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
Panglao's critter slope, five minutes off Alona Beach
White sand to 15 m, no current, twenty minutes from town
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A drop-off 80 m off the beach, from under 2 m to past 40 m
Reef
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