Dili · Timor-Leste · Reef · Sand slope
Dili Rock West
Coral to 15 m, then sand with barrel sponges, fans and whip corals.
Photo: Andrepiazza · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dili Rock West is the lesser-known side of the Dili Rock headland, a sloping reef reached from a small rocky cove. Hard and soft corals cover the bottom to about 15 m before it turns to sand with barrel sponges, fans and whip corals, and the shallows hide nudibranchs, scorpionfish, shrimps and crabs.
Also known as DRW.
Where it is and how deep
8.5556° S, 125.4983° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Divers enter over rocks from a small cove and head north-west. The reef slopes away from the shallows, with hard and soft corals covering the bottom to about 15 m; below that it slowly turns sandy, with big barrel sponges, fans and whip corals scattered down a slope that reaches 40 m.
In the shallows nudibranchs, scorpionfish, shrimps and crabs hide among the coral, with reef fish all around, and eels, flutemouths, trumpetfish and clams also turn up. A hard coral formation near the exit point shelters many small fish. The dive can be combined with a west-to-east circuit of the Rock with the prevailing currents, ending at the exit on the eastern side at Dili Rock East.
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 entry is over rocks and easiest at high tide.
- The site has no shade and can be quite secluded despite the nearby road.
Photos from Dili Rock West
Andrepiazza · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dive videos
Dili Rock West - Dili, East Timor · Wolfgang Nagele on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Dili Rock West?+
Coral covers the bottom to about 15 m, then a sandy slope runs on down to 40 m.
Can Dili Rock West and Dili Rock East be done as one dive?+
Yes. A west-to-east circuit of the Rock with the prevailing currents links the two, exiting on the eastern side.
Sources
- Diving in Timor-Leste — Wikivoyage
- Local Dive Sites Near Dili – Dili Rock West — Dive Timor Lorosae
Photo credits
- Two orange-and-white clownfish among the tentacles of a large sea anemone by Andrepiazza, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White nudibranch with black lines and raised bumps crawling over a green and brown reef by Andrepiazza, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Dili
A field of garden eels on the sand at the end of a shallow wall dive.
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.
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
White sand to 15 m, no current, twenty minutes from town
Resident turtles around an old wooden boat wreck
A gentle drift over coral and sand to 18 m
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Resident turtles around an old wooden boat wreck on the slope