Dili · Timor-Leste · Wall · Reef · Sand slope

K41

A coral wall a few metres off a shaded beach, with grass beds that sometimes draw dugongs.

K41 is a shore site 41 km east of Dili, where a coral wall and a shallow coral plateau sit a few metres from the beach and the reef falls away to a deep slope. It is one of the more protected sites on the coast and a regular stop for both divers and snorkellers, who come for the wall, the grass beds and the critters on the slopes.

Also known as K 41.

Where it is and how deep

Depths on a shared scale to 50 m (164 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

8.4750° S, 125.8822° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

Divers enter over rocks from the shaded beach; the entry is easy at any tide but can be tricky when the seas are rough. The reef starts a matter of metres from shore, with a shallow coral plateau on top and a wall below it, fish moving up and down its face, before the profile turns into a deeper slope further out. The site runs from 5 m to 40 m.

One route heads north, following the coral wall north and north-east. Currents can pick up as the wall flattens out; if it stays calm, the dive carries on as far round as air allows. The alternative heads left, to the north-west, across grass beds that sometimes attract dugongs and on to a coral slope. On the west side the reef is a slope sheltered from waves, with hard and soft corals, leaf scorpionfish, flatworms and octopus, while the right side is a sandy and rocky slope with a wide range of nudibranchs.

Marine life and season

Dugongs & manatees
Nudibranchs

Month-by-month season rating for K41
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

Currents sometimes swirl in the small coral bay and can pick up where the wall flattens out.
The entry is rocky and gets tricky when the seas are rough.
The four small trees on the north-east foreshore are sacred to the Timorese; non-Timorese divers keep west, towards the big trees.

Dive videos

K41 - Manatuto, East Timor · Wolfgang Nagele on YouTube

Questions divers ask

How deep is K41?+

The site runs from about 5 m to 40 m, with a shallow coral plateau on top, the wall below it and a deeper slope further out.

Where is K41 and how do divers get there?+

K41 is 41 km east of Dili by road. Divers take the first track at the grove of eucalyptus trees, just before a bay, and enter from the beach over rocks.

Can dugongs be seen at K41?+

Sometimes. A route to the north-west crosses grass beds that sometimes attract dugongs before reaching a coral slope.